Thieves Work Alone
by Cheylouwho
Summary: The kingdom of Zaron has crumbled after the Stick of Truth was stolen by the kings' successor. Under the rule of The Dark Lord, a young thief named Feldspar must help him retrieve a lost artifact that is being hidden in the village of vicious barbarians. Thieves are supposed to work alone, but someone he meets there may show him that rules are made to be broken. [[Creek SOT AU]]
1. Chapter 1

Long ago, in this kingdom we call Zaron, there were two wise kings who ruled together, side by side. The first was a noble High Elf, thousands of years old with green eyes that sparkled with wisdom. The second was a Grand Wizard, who excelled in battle strategy and could win a battle without losing a single soldier. United, the two strong personalities were able to balance each other out, and peace echoed throughout the lands.

Together, the kings knew their lives would not go on forever. They would have to pick a successor to their thrones, someone just as brave and wise and selfless as themselves. The child they chose trained hard to impress them- more than anything did he crave the power that was promised to him. To be king meant you were smart, brave, and well loved by all in the kingdom. But it was not just these qualities or the things that came with them that made the kings as strong as they were.

Locked away tightly in a highly guarded room lay an ancient artifact, only know as The Stick of Truth. It's true name was rumored too powerful to be uttered by mortal tongues. Anyone who held the Stick had the power to alter reality as they knew it- time and space could bend to his any want.

The two kings had mastered the Stick, and knew of the self-control required to wield it. Without balance, either of them could succumb to its power, and their kingdom would crumble. They knew they could not crown the child until he proved he could handle what was at stake.

The child, however, never showed himself to be anything but greedy. He worked hard, but his end goal was not to protect the kingdom. They realized he was unsuited to rule, and in turn, possess the artifact. When the kings refused to crown him, the child was full of rage. Late in the night, both he and the Stick vanished.

He called himself The Dark Lord, and with the Stick in his hand, he proclaimed himself the ruler of a third of the kingdom. Chaos erupted, and the two kings were unsure what to do. The balance they possessed crumbled as they fought, and soon enough, the kingdom was divided into three factions, each ruled by one of the formerly united rulers. After a while, it was rumored that The Dark Lord had lost the Stick, but nobody knew where it had gone. Without the artifact, how would the kingdom survive?

Rules were established to try and restore peace. The factions must stay loyal to their rulers. Boarders may not be crossed. Despite these rules, The Dark Lord worked in the shadows. He recruited hundreds of young children from both the other factions to work in his army. He hoped to one day retrieve the Stick that he had lost, as whoever possesses the Stick controls the universe.

* * *

"Feldspar. Come to me."

In the center of a darkened room, a child sat upon a black throne. One leg was thrown haphazardly over the armrest, the other dangling towards the floor as he slouched, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. The sound of silence was broken by boots on the metallic floor, the heels clicking until they reached a stop before the king. He stooped to his knees, looking up.

"My lord."

The child shifted, sitting up in his chair and offering a hand to the boy on his knees. Feldspar, as he had been dubbed, was not much younger than he was. They were both humans, and if he wasn't a king, they would live in the Grand Wizard's faction. After all, that's where Feldspar had come from when he was recruited to his kingdom.

Feldspar took the king's hand, gently kissing the top as he looked up with focused blue eyes. They narrowed when the king raised an eyebrow, seeming to be thinking.

"You are loyal to me, correct?" he implored, cocking his head.

"Yes, my lord."

"And you would do anything for me?"

"Yes."

The king gingerly pulled his hand away, resting a fingertip against his lips. "You swear?"

"Of course, my lord." Feldspar stood when the king waved for him to rise. "I serve this kingdom, and in turn, my king."

"I've trained you well," the child said simply, waving his hand as he slouched back into his chair. "Tell me, Feldspar…why am I here, and not in a grander palace? Why do I only look over a third of the land? What's stopping me from taking everything I deserve?"

"You lost the Stick, sir," he said calmly.

"I did not LOOSE THE STICK," he suddenly shouted, pounding a fist against the armrest of the chair. Feldspar jumped, taking a step back. He knew better than to interfere with a tantrum. "I did not LOOSE IT! It was _stolen_ from me! I was robbed!" The king leapt to his feet, shoving away the chair. It tipped and clattered to the floor, letting a booming echo bounce around the room. When all fell silent, and he was done yelling, he stepped forward towards the younger boy, eyes full of anger. "I want my Stick back. It belongs to _me_. You're going to go get it for me."

"Yes, my lord. Anything you wish." Feldspar couldn't believe it. He didn't even know where the Stick was; let alone how he was going to retrieve it. "And um…if I may ask…" The king's eyes shifted, giving a firm glare. "H-How am I going to do this, exactly?"

"Feldspar, Feldspar, Feldspar…" The king let out a giggle, placing a hand upon his shoulder. "You are my royal thief. You're just going to steal back what's mine."

"From…From the barbarians, sir?" Feldspar widened his eyes. They had ransacked the Lord's castle but days before, taking many items and destroying whatever they didn't want. They obviously had what the king requested. Feldspar couldn't believe it. No, entering barbarian territory was suicide. Everyone knew the stories. You never mess with a barbarian. They're too strong, too quick, too smart. You will never survive. They ransack villages and even though they belong to the human faction, the king never makes any move to control them.

"Of course. Those no good beasts have stolen from me for the last time. They've taken too much from my kingdom and they will be stopped. You're going to find the Stick, and you're going to bring it back to me. Then I'll punish them all!" The king stomped his foot excitedly, throwing his arms up in the air. "When I'm reunited with my power, I'll be unstoppable, I'll rule all of Zaron, and I'll have everything I want. And you, Feldspar…" The king placed a hand upon his cheek, smirking. "You'll be my right hand man, and I'll give you anything you desire. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord," he replied, grinning. "I will retrieve what you want."

"Good." The king gestured to the grand window of his throne room, overlooking the woods. "You will go out there and find the barbarians. Do you remember what I showed you just before they attacked?"

Feldspar began to think, and then nodded. "You showed me…a necklace."

"Yes. That necklace has the power to guide the wearer to what they most desire. It was also taken from me. Perhaps, if we cannot find the Stick, it can lead us to it." The king turned back to Feldspar. "You will find those Barbarians, even if it means crossing borders. Do not return unless you have one of three things- my Stick, that necklace or," he laughed, biting his lip to control himself, "the barbarian king's head. If you dare come back without them…" he chuckled, dragging a finger across his neck with a wild grin. "Understand?"

Feldspar gulped, nodding. "Yes, my lord."

"I'm glad you understand. Now, away you go." The king waved his hand as he picked up his chair, setting it up nicely again and sitting down again.

"Yes, my lord." And with that, Felspar turned, heading out the door.

* * *

The boarders of the kingdoms were dangerous to cross. Entering another territory was already a crime, and those on the other side were far from welcoming of outsiders. You were sure to be killed no matter how you looked at it if you crossed one of the expansive walls.

Fantastic.

Feldspar knew that crossing was inevitable. The barbarians were typically a nomadic group who moved from place to place, but mainly set up their camps within the human kingdom, as they preferred to stay somewhere they felt protected. Although they technically fell under the rule of the Grand Wizard, the barbarian's had their own king who led their group from place to place as they raided and took what they needed. For years, nobody had known who their current king was. It changed often, as old kings died or were challenged for their position.

Feldspar knew little about their society, but he knew that the king was always the strongest. He ruled killing him out of the question. If he wanted to survive, he wouldn't dare confront him.

After a two day's journey north, he arrived at the wall that separated the Dark Lord's kingdom from the humans. It was built well, mostly to keep other kingdoms out rather than it's people in. Nobody in their right mind would leave the safety of the kingdom anyhow.

Feldspar would have to be an exception to this. After all, for a thief, rules are made to be broken.

Using nothing but the strength he had on his lanky form, Feldspar began to scale the wall, clinging to the gaps in the bricks, finding rough footholds and shelves to rest on. It was about 20 feet up to the top, then another 20 feet down, although Feldspar was sure that he could cut that short with a jump when he was close to the bottom. Agility was one thing a thief could take pride in, which he did. When he reached the top, he sat and rested, scouting out where to go from his high vantage point.

The human kingdom was rather beautiful. At the highest point was the castle that had once been home to both kings before Zaron was divided. Below it was a magnificent city, and even lower than that, a vast farmland full of villages. Surrounding it was a forest of trees, which became denser the closer it came to the wall. Feldspar knew it well, as his old home was just a bit north from where he was at. He didn't want to think about that though. He had more important things to do.

He guessed that the barbarians would likely hide in the out-skirting trees, away from civilization as not to be bothered, but also close enough to raid the nearby villages if they wanted to. By that guess, he would need to head a bit to the east. His tracking skills weren't as good as he wanted them to be, but it might just be enough to get by. He began to descend.

At the bottom of the wall now, he began to head in the direction he had guessed. The trees were thick here, without much light, and he was careful to watch where he stepped in case there were traps. Barbarians were notorious for protecting their temporary camps with traps for food, or perhaps threats, who may wander past.

The further he went, the more unsettled he began to feel. Maybe it was just the darkness of the forest, or maybe it was his nerves, but it felt like something was watching him. There was no movement around him though, so it couldn't be, right? There were the faint markings of tracks in the road before him, almost looking like someone had tried to cover them. Clever, but not clever enough. He stooped down, staring at them, trying to make sense of who they might belong to.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, an arrow whizzed past, barely grazing his cheek. Without a second of hesitation, Feldspar's eyes shot upward to the trees. Dammit! He should have known! Another arrow fired from somewhere within the branches, again barely missing him as he scrambled to his feet. Panic seized his body, forcing him to run haphazardly along the path rather than hide. He could hear the sounds of yelling in another tongue, and although he couldn't understand it, he knew what it was.

Barbaric. They were here, he had stumbled right into their guards.

He continued his mad dash, chest heaving, and heart pounding in fear. The whizzing of arrows came from all sides, barely missing him as he dodged and leapt and rolled. He was getting closer to the camp, he knew it, all he had to do was outrun the soldiers.

More yelling came from his right side. He changed his direction a bit too quickly, tripping on his boots and rolling, getting caught in his cape. "Dammit!" he gasped, quickly rolling again and ripping out of his self-made trap before hurrying to his feet again. The precious lead he had gained was lost, and they were closing in, even if he couldn't see them. He could see the camp now, just in the distance. He was nearly there, he-

He let out a scream as something suddenly grabbed at him, lifting him up. Nonononononono! A rope trap! The simplest thing in the book and he had _walked right into it._ He screamed and kicked and tried to escape, but his panic prevented any rational thoughts. Oh no, he was dead. He was dead.

They began to immerge from the trees, climbing down and approaching him.

"Please, please kill me quickly," he cried. "Spare me, just get it over with, I-"

Whack. He was out like a light.


	2. Chapter 2

"Someone was found in the woods, your highness."

"Mmm?"

"A boy. He looks like a human, maybe from a nearby village."

"Did you kill him?"

"No. We brought him here."

"I see. I'll deal with him soon."

The men left the tent, leaving him to himself. As soon as he knew it was clear, he turned, moving to a table covered with a cloth that was just behind him. As he lifted the sheet, he grinned, taking in the sight. "I know exactly what he's after."

* * *

Feldspar let out a grumble, shifting awkwardly. The first thing he noticed what his inability to move. Both his wrists and ankles were restrained, pinned awkwardly behind him. As his eyes blinked to focus, he also noticed the throbbing in his head from where he had been whacked. He wasn't quite sure with what yet, but he deemed it unimportant.

He appeared to be in some sort of…cart. He knew that the Barbarians favored them, as they were easy to wheel around as they moved from place to place. Judging by the appearance of the bars and padlocked door, this was made for prisoners. Great. Just great. His fingers wiggled in his binds, bending his wrists to get a good feel for what kind of knot was holding him. It was something unfamiliar though, so he wasn't sure if he'd be able to untie it like this. His best bet was to figure out another method of escape before whoever had captured him returned.

He wiggled awkwardly like a worm across the wooden floor of the caged cart to a barred window, hoisting himself to his knees to look out of it. He was indeed in the barbarian traveling village. All around him were other carts and tents, its people wandering about. They all had a similar look to them- dark hair and eyes, rather large people with strong bodies and a lot of mental power. For years, they had mostly stayed to themselves, dividing them so much from other humans that they might as well be a race of their own. They had language and a society and a leader, there was no reason why they wouldn't be.

The sound of an opening door made Feldspar jump. He dropped from where he was sitting, backing up towards the wall as figures entered. The first two were large men, bearing the typical long brown hair and muscular builds that the barbaric people were known for. Their bodies were painted with black patterns and stripes, beautiful decorations against their skin. Feldspar knew that these often symbolized the ranking of their people, but he had no idea what these particular ones meant. From the looks of them…they were higher up.

One muttered something to the other in their tongue, and then the other said something back. Feldspar was far from multi-lingual, but his time in the human kingdom as a child had helped him pick up a few things. However, he recognized nothing until he heard a word that chilled him.

Death.

Was he going to die? What were they waiting for then? Why were they wasting time and energy on capturing him? He stared up with wide eyes, trembling against the wall of the cart.

Suddenly, there was a third voice from outside the cart. A man, he was sure, but the voice was…different. He didn't sound like the others. As he stepped inside, Feldspar gawked. No, he was not like the others at all.

Before him stood a tall, thin figure with pale skin and hazel eyes that glared at him with a piercing stare. His hair was light blond, nearly white in the sunlight that streamed into the cart from the open door. His body was littered with the gorgeous black artwork, painted masterfully. Upon his back was a bow and quiver, while around his neck was some sort of jewelry that was too hard to make out in the dim lighting. A dark stripe ran across his young-looking face from one cheek to the corner of his left eye, while a black wreath was upon his head. Feldspar knew one thing.

This tall, out of place child was the king.

The barbarian king stared at him for a few moments, seeming to assess his situation and who he was. "Hmm," he sighed, and then asked something in the language Feldspar could not understand.

"I don't speak barbarian," he interrupted, shaking his head for emphasis.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" the king prompted immediately, speaking in Feldspar's English tongue.

Surprised, Feldspar's eyebrows raised. "E-excuse me-"

" _I said_ , who are you, and why have you entered my kingdom?" The king's tone changed, affirming his power with just one glance. "It would do you well to listen. You're in my realm now, and if you want to survive, I expect you to answer me."

"My name…My name is Feldspar, your highness," he said quietly, bowing his head in a sign of respect. This strange barbarian was right- if he wanted to survive he had better watch his tongue. "I didn't mean to bother you or your men, I was just-"

"Lies," he said simply, cutting him off. The king stepped forward, kneeling down so he was on the thief's level. "You are a thief, and that is not your real name, it is the false identity assigned to you. People of your kind are never just wandering through." He smirked, closing his eyes and trying to hold back a giggle. "You would think as a thief you'd be smarter about where you robbed. Didn't your mummy tell you scary bedtime stories about what happens when you meet with a barbarian?"

"I beg your pardon, your highness, but you don't look like much of a barbarian to m-"

Before he could finish his sentence, an arrow was aimed dangerously close to his forehead, his eyes going in and out of focus trying to look at the object in his face. The king had moved so quickly he hadn't even had time to register what was happening until he finally let out a surprised gasp.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, thief. I earned my position as king because my arrow never misses. Unless you'd like it to pierce between those pretty eyes of yours, you'd do best to be silent, understand?" The king was dangerously close now, and Craig had nothing to defend himself with in his current state.

"I apologize, your highness," he gasped, eyes widening as he nodded a little. With the closer distance, he was really able to get a good look at the king. His face really was quite young, he couldn't be much older than Feldspar, if not the same age of 17. His eyes trailed down to the jewelry hanging around his neck, letting out another small gasp. The stolen necklace, the one his Lord had wanted, it was right here in front of him.

"Who do you work for?" The king demanded, arrow still dangerously close to his head.

"My r-ruler is the Dark Lord, your majesty," Feldspar stuttered, "and I was here to collect something you stole from his castle."

"Tch," the king hissed, lowering his bow. "I should have killed that brat of a child when I had the chance. I decided against it though- you know that both the true kings love him like a son, and if he were dead, well…" the barbarian rolled his eyes. "I'd have a whole other war on my hands, wouldn't I?"

Feldspar nodded as respectfully as he could.

"What did he want?" the king asked curiously, bow still ready to rise if necessary.

Feldspar considered his options. The king's head was out of the question. The necklace was around said head, so that was also out of the question. The only thing he could say now was the Stick itself.

"You took the Stick of Truth," he finally said.

"A stick?" the king laughed, but something about his words didn't seem right. "Why would barbarians want a stick for? We wouldn't have touched something so stupid."

With any other barbarian, the ignorance might have passed as truth. But this child, no, he didn't really belong here. He was a human child, a regular human child, someone who likely was part of the kingdom society at some point in his life. He had to know. He was hiding it.

"Where are you hiding the stick?" he demanded.

"I don't have it!" the king shouted, banging the bottom of his bow against the wooden floor. "You will shut your mouth, and you will go back to your pathetic child king. Tell him that if he dares to send someone into my camp again, I will not hesitate to murder every single one of his soldiers that come my way. Is that clear?"

Feldspar fell silent, glaring. "Yes."

The king said something in barbaric, then turned to leave. The two men with him began to speak, asking questions and then saying goodbye-

Tweek. The king's name was Tweek.

Feldspar was sure he had heard them say a name. That wasn't any barbaric word he had ever heard before. It had to be his name.

The two men turned back to him and began to untie his wrists and ankles.

"Free," one said with a thick accent. "Away."

Before he could think twice, Feldspar dashed from the cart and back into the woods. He didn't stop until he felt like he was a far enough distance away, breathing heavily. He had just met the barbarian king and _lived._ That was quite the accomplishment. The woods were darker than usual- it was nearing nighttime. As he quickly began to scale a nearby tree for shelter, questions surfaced in his head. Who was the king? Why was he a regular human? How did he even become part of them?

Once he was safe in the tree, he dug out the pouch of dried fruits from his pocket. He was glad the barbarians hadn't taken it- he still had a two day trek back to the castle of the lord.

No, he couldn't go back. If he came back empty handed, he would be killed for sure.

That was not an option.

As he snacked and looked up at the stars, he couldn't help but imagine the face of the handsome king, the way he had knelt close, the beauty in his eyes…

Tweek.

The king of the barbarians.

* * *

The king paced quietly in his tent, fingers fiddling with the necklace that rested against his collarbone. The day's events were troubling. He couldn't believe that the Dark Lord had the nerve to send someone into his village. What a fool. Perhaps he should have killed the thief, but something inside of him told him it was better just to let him go.

He sighed, sitting down in a chair and closing his eyes. The village was counting on him to protect him, he couldn't bear to lose any of his people because of an ignorant child ruler. Unlike himself, the Dark Lord hadn't earned his place. He didn't deserve the title of king, he didn't, he-

A faint glowing light distracted his thoughts. As he slowly opened his eyes in confusion, he saw the source was none other than the necklace's red charm.

He let out a soft breath, hands nervously shaking. Someone had once told him such an item existed, but he had thought this one just to be a pretty piece of jewelry. No, this was a magic item-the stone that would lead you to your desires, your destiny.

As he let his fingers curl around the stone, Tweek close his eyes again, breathing slowly. _Show me. Show me where to go._

Before he had finished his thought, the stone lurched in his fingers. He could feel it in his soul, a pulling, something calling him to follow.

Tonight. He would have to go tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

_He glanced up at the sound of the door opening, then shutting once more as a figure entered the meeting room._

" _You know I'm busy with the army-"_

 _He raised his hand in silence, back turned towards him as he looked out the large window of the castle's chamber. "Eric. You know very well why I called you here, don't speak like that."_

 _The wizard fell silent, biting his lip. "What then? Enlighten me, because I have no idea what's going on."_

 _The elf king turned, bowing his head. "This is about…the self-proclaimed Dark Lord. Clyde's out there, doing who knows what; I'm worried about what he'll try."_

" _I told you I was already on it. We have our soldiers lined up, ready for his attacks-"_

" _The problem," he interrupted again, "is the soldiers he is sending. He's sending children. Our kingdom's children, he's somehow stolen them and is forcing them to fight."_

" _Eh? So? We can take them out easily, and this war will be over." The wizard king shrugged._

" _So? Have you lost your heart? These are children we're talking about. You aren't going to just mow them down, that would be cruel!"_

" _Cruel, but we'll win, Kyle." He approached him, raising his eyebrows with a mischievous smile. "You know that."_

" _It's the wrong thing to do, there's a better option." Kyle pointed to the glass window. "What will they think of us if we murder their loved ones?"_

" _Fine, then if I can't take out the armies, what if I just attack the boy instead?"_

" _Eric!" He gasped, moving forward and raising a hand to strike him, but then freezing. "You wouldn't dare! We practically raised him; he's like a son to us!"_

" _I would kill him if it meant peace for this damned kingdom, I want this war to be over!" The wizard stepped back, glaring at Kyle._

" _Eric, if you do anything, I won't hesitate to strike you down-"_

" _-and you'd be no better than me if you did."_

 _Kyle fell silent, closing his eyes. "You're right," he said softly. "We cannot fight like this." He moved back to him, taking the Wizards hands, staring deep into his eyes. "You know very well that we must stay balanced to keep this kingdom in check, and if one of us steps out of line, both will fall. Our friendship and our cooperation must not break or waver if we want to survive."_

 _Eric rolled his eyes. "Again with the cryptic speaking," he let go of his hands, turning towards the window and overlooking it. "You elves drive me crazy."_

" _Eric." The king watched him, pausing. He knew that there was only one thing he could do. "Promise me you will not hurt him."_

 _Eric said nothing for a moment, then nodded. "I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky."_

" _Thank you. You're dismissed. Go back to the soldiers."_

 _With that, the two kings parted._

* * *

He couldn't believe that now, of all times, the necklace was glowing. He had no idea if this would ever happen again, so he would need to act fast. Maybe, just maybe, this would be the answer to all his problems.

The barbarian king quickly began to collect himself, calming his nerves. Throwing a thick cloak around his shoulders and grabbing fresh quiver of arrows, he prepared to head out. Nighttime in these woods were dangerous, but he could not risk his army following. No, he'd have to go alone.

He moved towards the back of the tent, again looking at the sheet covered table, worried look upon his face as he exposed what was hiding underneath. He stared at it silently for a few moments before dropping the cover with a sigh. Not yet. Not yet.

Tweek quickly turned, throwing open his tent and stepping out into the night air.

The village was bustling with life at this hour. A grand fire had been set up in the center, the carts and tents forming a sort of circle around it. Children played in the moonlight, the adults dancing and singing near the warmth.

The king smiled at the sight of his happy people, waving over two of his most trusted men. "Guard my tent with your life. If anyone, including yourselves, is to enter, I'll have your heads," he commanded. The two men nodded, quickly taking positions behind him as he walked into the open air of the camp. Many bowed to him as he passed, and he nodded a small one in return. He had no time for formalities- the necklace's strength was growing, and who knew how long it would last.

He closed his eyes and wrapped a hand around the glowing stone when he reached the end of the camp, holding it tightly. Where to go, where to go…ahh. There it was. The familiar pull in his chest. It was urging him to enter the woods, a bit to the east. With a deep breath, the king went into the night.

He started at a walking pace, which quickly turned into a run. He sped along the paths of the forest he had memorized long ago. Any good king would know his forests like the back of his hand. From the feel of it, whatever the necklace was going to show him was still fairly deep into the woods, not near the villages like he had expected. He still wasn't even sure what the item he desired was. He thought he had already possessed that.

Magic worked in funny ways, he guessed.

He began to slow down as the pull became weaker and weaker. Was he closer now? He stopped to rest, kneeling in the middle of the dirt path. This was dangerous to be out in the open, but he couldn't risk straying from the path, especially when he was so close to his goal.

The tug came again, lighter this time, just to his right. "Eh?" he said quietly, looking up. All there was to see was a large tree. "A tree? A _tree_? What the bloody hell am I supposed to do with a tr-"

Turns out there was not just a tree nearby. Without warning, a figure leapt down from somewhere above the king, tackling him to the ground and rolling.

Tweek screamed, taken completely off guard. He somersaulted with the figure still grasping his cloak, kicking his legs, trying to reach for his arrows. He let out another yelp as he was pinned to the ground, arm trapped underneath himself as the figure had managed to hold down both his shoulders, legs straddling his waist.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here?" the figure demanded, blue eyes staring angrily down at him, a knife awkwardly being held in the hand that was pressing against him.

Wait.

Blue eyes.

"Thief!" he shouted in English, kicking his legs again. With nothing but his strength, he shoved him off, rolling carefully and knocking the knife from his hand. With his pinned arm free, he grabbed for his bow, quiver spilling arrows. Didn't matter. All he needed was one. With incredible speed, he managed to get on top of the thief, arrow pointed at his head again. Now, their positions were reversed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was resting in the tree when you so rudely woke me up, _your highness_ ," he sneered, despite the dangerous situation. This was not the time for this kind of behavior, he knew that, but he couldn't help it. The rush of adrenaline was stopping his filter.

"You disgusting little fuck, I oughtta shoot you for that!" The king pulled back his arrow a bit further, but made no move to fire.

Feldspar flinched, closing his eyes. "Nononono, wait, I'm sorry!"

He lowered it, sighing. As he caught his breath, he took notice that the necklace had stopped glowing. "You ruined it," he grumbled.

"Eh, 'scuse me?"

"Nothing, shut your mouth!"

"I thought you were going to kill me…uh. I'm getting mixed messages here."

The king stood up, delivering a light kick to the thief's side before picking up his spilled arrows. "Get out of here. I have no time for someone like you." He grasped at the necklace again, but felt nothing. No, why wasn't it working anymore? It was _just_ working!

"So you're letting me go?" Feldspar asked, slowly standing up and brushing the dirt from his pants. "Just like that? I thought barbarians were…you know. More vicious."

The king began to trudge the other direction in frustration, returning the bow to his back. "You ever hear that saying about bees? Leave them alone and they won't bother you?"

Curiously, Feldspar began to jog up beside him, following. "Eh…yeah. Everyone's heard that."

"My people tend to be that way. We enter your village, you leave us alone and give us what we want, and nobody dies. Easy!" He clapped his hands for emphasis.

"First of all, that's not at all like the bee thing," Feldspar said, grimacing a little. "Secondly, that doesn't relate to anything that just happened because I'm pretty sure I attacked you first."

"There are exceptions to every rule, I guess," he replied, still refusing to make eye contact as Feldspar followed awkwardly beside him. "I don't want to kill you. You…you have a message to deliver for me. Can't deliver a message with a dead man, everybody knows that." He was getting oddly uncomfortable. Why was he following him? Why wasn't he just running away?

"Anyone can send a message. Send one of your men. They'll be able to make it over the wall just fine."

"Are you testing me?" Tweek questioned suddenly, turning on his heels and freezing, their eyes meeting.

Feldspar jumped. "E-excuse-"

"Are you testing me?" he repeated. "You're following me around like a lost puppy and you won't shut up. Did your king tell you to do this? Is this some sort of…magic?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you casting spells on me to make me feel this way?"

"Feel like _what_?" What the hell was he talking about? Feldspar furrowed his brows, stepping back.

"Tch. Never mind. You're useless. Go away, or I'll fire at you for real this time." The king turned quickly, sprinting towards his camp.

Feldspar watched him go, standing still. The wind blew gently around him, his cape fluttering awkwardly and getting caught around his legs. With a sigh, he kicked it away, turning the other direction. He should have swiped that necklace when he had a chance. He'd just have to wait for another opportunity.

* * *

Tweek paced his tent again, gripping at the necklace in frustration. Nothing. "USELESS!" he screamed suddenly, ripping the trinket from around his throat and throwing it onto the ground. "If that stupid thief had kept to himself, I would have found where I was going, but no! He had to interrupt! He had to stare at me with his stupid eyes and confuse me! It's sorcery! Magic! SOMETHING-"

"Your highness?" a voice interrupted. The king turned to see one of his soldiers, peeking a head into his tent. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," he grumbled. "Go back to your post." He paused, thinking. His eyes darted back to the covered table. "No… stay here. Guard my tent. Let nobody in. I need to be alone."

The soldier nodded, exiting again. When he was sure he was alone, Tweek moved back to the table.

"Let's try this again."


	4. Chapter 4

_He sat, cowering in a corner with his hands covering his head. Fearful tears streamed down the child's face, entire body trembling as he suppressed his choking sobs._

 _Stay quiet, his dad had told him, don't you dare make a sound or they'll find you._

 _The chaos outside was maddening. Screaming, the sounds of weapons clashing, arrows whizzing, people falling, dying. The boy tugged at his blond hair, letting out another small squeak. He couldn't do this, he wanted his mom, he wanted the bad people to go away and never ever come back, he wanted–_

 _There was silence. He slowly let go of his hair, lifting his head, listening to the sound of voices speaking a language he didn't know. They were…quiet. Not yelling like earlier. Curiously, he crawled out from his hiding spot, nearing the window. Outside, he could see people decorated in black paint talking, hundreds of bodies littering the ground. The small boy covered his mouth, trying not to scream at the sight._

 _One barbarian with a black wreath in his hair looked up, halting the conversation. He said something, and he sounded confused. Had he been seen? Heard? The boy didn't know, but his heart was racing when the man yelled out, perhaps for someone to check._

 _The door to his home suddenly burst open and he screamed, throwing his hands over his head and begging, don't hurt me, don't hurt me please-_

 _There was a gentle, soothing voice. He didn't know what she was saying, but she seemed trustworthy._

 _The boy slowly uncurled himself, crawling closer as she stooped down to his level, holding out her arms._

" _Village is dead," she said in broken English, accent nearly too thick to understand. "You…alone."_

 _The boy began to wail, knowing exactly what that meant. He let himself collapse into the woman's arms, a tired baby with no idea what to do._

" _It is dangerous alone." She nodded, hoping he understood as she kissed his forehead. "I…take you home. Barbarian name, I give you. Teach you to be strong. You…safe. I am safe."_

 _The little boy nodded against her, happy for some comfort. "What…what kind of name?" He asked._

" _Name…Tweek."_

* * *

The king sat silently, staring at the Stick of Truth- the most powerful item in the entire kingdom, the thing that could grant him everything he possibly desired. His hands fiddled with his cloak, trying to calm himself. He needed to be sure he was ready. He had heard story upon story of those who touched the Stick and went mad with power. Perhaps he was too weak; maybe it would get him too…

No, he was stronger than that. He had proved himself time and time again, no matter what the gods had thrown at him. Here he was, a king of a society his blood didn't belong to. A small child whose parents were murdered by those very people, who had been bullied all his life for being different and who had to work twice as hard to prove himself worthy of his crown. He was not weak. He was stronger than anyone, he was stronger than the child king in the third kingdom, he was the true ruler of this whole damned land! Why wasn't it him? Why, why, why?

He clenched his fists, trying to hold back from yelling. The temptation was too strong. What was he doing? He wasn't even touching it and he could feel its power, calling to him.

 _Make your wishes come true._

 _Touch the Stick._

 _Do it._

With shaking hands, the king cast the blanket back over the Stick, unable to even look at it. He ran his hands through his mass of blonde hair, gripping at it, tugging. All this was doing was resurfacing the anxiety he had tried so hard to conceal. What would his people do if they saw him like this? They'd think he was fragile. Pathetic. Unsuited.

Weak.

"I am not weak," he hissed, standing up a bit too quickly and knocking over the table that hid the artifact. As it tumbled over, it revealed itself again, teasing him.

 _Touch it. Do it._

Unable to hold back, he dropped to his knees, hands shaking. He wasn't weak. He would show them. He would show them all! He grasped the Stick in his left hand, holding firmly, bringing it close to his body.

"I…I want…"

He took a deep breath.

 _Do it._

"I…I want to be…"

 _DO IT._

"I want to be king of all of Zaron!" he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut, holding the Stick of Truth close to his body. "I want to be powerful! I want to be strong! Give it to me!"

There was silence as he sat still, waiting for something to happen, anything.

But nothing changed.

"What?" he mumbled, slowly opening his eyes and staring at the Stick.

Nothing. Nothing at all. He was still sitting in his tent in his barbarian clothes and war paint. He wasn't anything more than he already was.

He let out a choking sound, throwing the Stick across the room. It wasn't working. Even the universe knew the truth.

He would never be strong.

* * *

 _He raised his bow, fumbling clumsily with an arrow as he wrestled it into place. The target was easy, just ten feet away, but his little fingers struggled to pull back the string._

 _He aimed, then let go._

 _It hit the ground almost instantly._

" _Oh," he sighed, throwing the bow to the ground. He'd never be like the other children, never ever ever-_

" _My child," the familiar voice said. He turned to find the woman who had saved him, the one he now called his mother, stooping beside him. "Do not quit."_

" _B-b-but…I can't! I can't fire an arrow, I tried and…" He stuttered, still struggling with his barbaric. With one hand he grabbed for his hair, the other rubbing against his face. He hadn't even earned a single stripe of paint yet. As a barbarian, he should have had at least two by the time he turned 10. He was 12 now with nothing to show. He knew the tribe hated him, they wished that his mother hadn't taken him in, he just knew it. He was an embarrassment to his people._

 _She shook her head, smiling kindly. "No, my child," she said, picking up the bow. "If you try hard, you can do anything. Do not forget that, my Tweek. You have much to learn, yes, but do you think anyone here has been successful by giving up?"_

 _The child shook his head, pulling his hands away from his face. "No…they weren't."_

" _Exactly." She placed the bow back in his hand, taking an arrow and guiding him to hold it properly. "All you need is a little help, and a little confidence." She let go of his hands, the arrow releasing and striking the target's center._

" _I did it!" he gasped, jumping up and down._

" _I told you that you could. Now, keep trying. Make me proud."_

* * *

Feldspar sat at the top of the tree again, looking up at the stars peeking out from between the branches. He twirled his knife in his hands, considering his options. No matter how he looked at it, he was going to die. He would go back empty handed and face the rage of the Dark Lord, he could fight the barbarian king and surely be killed, or he would have to find the Stick…all impossible.

He tucked the knife back in its sheath, hiding it in his boot. This was going to be hard. All he could do now was wither away in this tree, forever a coward, a death without any honor to his name. How sad. Nobody would even know he was up here.

Distracted with his inner monologue, Feldspar failed to realize the noise below him. Someone was yelling louder now, footsteps echoing in the otherwise quiet forest.

"Eh?" He sat up, grabbing for his knife again, peering downward. Two figures were coming closer, the clashing sound of swords becoming more audible.

A fight.

Feldspar grabbed hold of a branch, shimmying along it to get a better view. It was hard to make out what was going on with how dark it was, but he was getting a feeling that one of them was clearly on the defensive.

"I told you I have nothing more for you to take!" he cried out, thrusting his sword forward. He was obviously very skilled, but not skilled enough. The apparent robber was getting the upper hand. He would soon be dead without help.

With a deep breath, Feldspar swung so his arms were above him, dangling from the branch as it threatened to break. Before it could, he let go, body dropping heavily to the ground. He winced in pain. Nope, that entrance was not worth it. His knee hurt badly, his body was scraped by branches on the ground, and he had drawn attention. He was a shitty thief, wasn't he, unable to even be stealthy. No time to think about that, he reminded himself, he needed to save whoever the man was. He quickly rose to his feet, revealing his knife. With speed as his advantage, he darted forward, running in confusing circles around the two men.

"What are you doing?" the same voice from before cried out, still thrusting his sword with all of his strength. He was tiring though, he couldn't keep this up for long.

The robber took the bait, trying to split his focus between the two, just enough to let is guard down. Feldspar rolled between his legs, jumped into the air, and thrust the knife hard into his back.

There was a scream, then silence as the body fell.

"Oh my god," the other gasped, stepping back. "Did you just kill him?"

Feldspar breathed heavily, looking up at the other. "Yeah, I mean, you needed help, right?"

"Y-yeah but…I didn't think you'd kill him." The man kicked at the corpse, checking to see if he was really gone. Kneeling beside him, he grabbed at a pouch dangling off of him, tucking it quietly into his pocket before standing again. He stepped closer, holding out a hand. "Who are you?"

"I am Feldspar." He didn't mention his title or who he worked for. It was already risky enough being in this kingdom. He took the hand offered. "Who are _you_?"

"I am Token," he replied, "one of the most powerful clerics in this section of the kingdom. I thank you for your assistance. Without you, I may have stayed robbed, and perhaps even killed." Token helped him to his feet, shaking his hand firmly. Feldspar was able to see him clearer now, taking note of his facial features. He looked not much older, with a much darker complexion compared to Feldspar's tan. He must have come from the eastern part of the kingdom. He was clearly very wise- it was made apparent when Feldspar looked into his eyes.

"You're…you're welcome." Feldspar smiled as kindly as he could, appreciating the gesture. He winced at the pressure on his leg, biting his lip.

"Are you hurt?" Token asked, looking concerned. "Listen, I have great skills in medicine. If you come with me back to my tavern, I can heal you if you wish. You can stay there for the night. There's a grand party going on, and I have several fantastic guests who are preforming."

"Are you sure?" Feldspar raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. It's the least I can do for the man who saved my life." Token gestured towards the path. "It's not far. Are you coming?"

With nowhere else to go, and not many other choices, Feldspar nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

Three. Three failed attempt so far.

Tweek had held it in his hands, he had yelled out his commands, yet there was nothing. The Stick was about as useful as any twig from the forest surrounding his camp.

He dropped it back on the table with a sigh, starting to lose hope. This was ridiculous. He had recounted everything he had ever heard about the artifact, he had followed every step. The one who holds it controls the universe, it was supposed to be as simple as speaking your desires.

But no, magic couldn't be easy. There had to be something more that he was missing, something that was kept secret. The Elf, the Wizard, and the Dark Lord had all used it at least once, with the child king being the most recent. The thief had come to steal it back, so it had to be functioning. "Then what am I missing?" He mumbled to himself, placing his hands on the table and leaning over the Stick, staring at it intensely as he thought.

After a few minutes, he closed his eyes, slowly rising up from his position. He'd have to try again tomorrow. Casting the blanket atop the table for what felt like the millionth time that night, he decided to retire to bed. As he made his way across the room, a glint in the sand caught his eye.

The necklace he had thrown earlier had surprisingly not shattered from how hard he had tossed it in frustration. It teased him, almost seeming to glow faintly.

Bed might have to wait.

He crawled down to the sand, coming closer. Yes, it was glowing again, faintly. This was his chance; the gods had heard his prayers! The necklace would show him how to work the Stick, and everything would be right after all. He plucked it from the sand by the thick string, carefully placing it around his neck. With a faint humming against his collarbone, the glow becoming brighter. Yes, yes! It was working!

Tweek stood up, adjusting his cloak closed over his bare chest. It would be cold, but he was used to that by now to where it wouldn't bother him as much as others. Barbarians had thick skin. He did too.

With the necklace in his closed fist, he breathed slowly, mimicking the first time. The tug began, directing him towards the woods, this time to a little different location. It was time.

* * *

Feldspar sat on a stool in the corner of the tavern. The cleric hadn't lied- it was bustling with life tonight. There were people from all over the human kingdom, drinking and singing and enjoying themselves. On a small stage against the back wall, a bard was playing a lute and keeping his audience well engaged as they cheered and clapped along.

"Eh, it noisy in here," he mumbled, rubbing at his head.

"Lighten up, Feldspar, it's a party. You ever been to a tavern before?" Token was rubbing some sort of ointment on his left arm where he had been cut from foolishly leaping out of the tree. "This is what it's _supposed_ to be like."

"No, I haven't. I just-"

"Amazing!" he interrupted, laughing. "Well then you must stay and enjoy yourself!" Token produced a bandage, wrapping up the medicated arm. "It's night, what else are you going to do? Go to sleep?"

"That's what nighttime is for, yes," he replied sarcastically, glancing up at the stage again. The bard had changed songs again, and the audience was loving it. He rolled his eyes, looking away again. He had never been much for big gatherings. Thieves liked to be alone.

"You're funny, Feldspar," the cleric teased, patting him on the shoulder before standing up. "Please, try a drink, you'll love it! Take whatever you want, it's on me."

"I…I've never had one before."

"All the more reason to try one now," Token singsonged, stepping over to the bar and grabbing a couple of mugs. "Here, just taste it, I promise it's great."

"I don't know…" Feldspar grimaced, looking down at the liquid. It didn't smell like it would be very good, but he didn't want to be rude to his host. With a deep breath, he raised it to his lips, taking a sip.

"Well?"

He lowered it, licking his lips and thinking for a moment. "It's…It's good!"

"Drink up then," Token laughed, turning away. "I'll be around if you need me."

Feldspar watched him leave before looking back down at his drink. With a shrug, he took another gulp.

Nearly an hour later, there were five empty mugs on the table and a very drunk thief lying face down in the middle of them. His face flushed pink, eyes going in and out of focus as he tried to pay attention to the entertainment. The bard was still on stage, and he couldn't see him too well from all the way over here. Stumbling, Feldspar rose to his feet, walking tipsily across the room and falling into a chair that was closer to the stage.

He didn't even notice the commotion near the front door, or anything else really until a voice woke him from his trance.

"Feldspar? Is that you?"

He turned his head slowly to find the blond barbarian staring down at him. "Heeeeeeey," he slurred, a huge grin spreading across his face. "How'd you get in here?"

Tweek grimaced, stepping back. "Ugh, are you drunk?!"

"Drunk?" he looked confused for a moment. "Did that have…alcohol in it?" before his question could be answered, he burst out giggling, covering his face with his hands. "Oooh, boy, it was good though, I wouldn't'a even known…"

"Yeah you are really, really drunk," the king sighed, shaking his head. He couldn't believe he had run into him _again_. "Figures though. A thief in a bar, drunk off his ass. Typical, if you ask me."

"SHHHHH, shhhh…" Feldspar hissed, throwing a finger over his mouth, drawing more attention than keeping it away. "Don't tell them who I am, I'm bein' sneaky in here, alright?"

"Whatever, you-" Tweek froze, noticing the necklace had stopped glowing again. With a frustrated growl, he kicked a nearby chair and ran his hands through his hair. Fuck. Every time he came near Feldspar, it would stop glowing. He had to have some kind of interference with it, what kind of powers did he even possess?

Another voice suddenly came from the other side of the room, and the entire tavern halted. "Who let a barbarian in here?!"

The silence was deafening as everyone turned around, staring at the two of them.

"Aw fuck, you drew attention," Feldspar gasped, slamming his hands on the table.

The king just let out a whine, slapping his palm to his face.

Token came over looking angry. "I don't serve barbarians here," he hissed, arm reaching for his side, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

"Woah, woah, woah," Feldspar gasped, stumbling up to his feet. He knocked over his chair in the process, only emphasizing the stillness when it hit the ground. "He's with me, he's a friend."

Tweek glanced over at him with a shocked expression, blinking a few times. "I am?" He looked back over at the cleric drawing his sword, then gulped, nodding quickly. "I-I mean, I am! I'm totally his friend, yes." He only had his bow, and this was a tavern full of people. He was not in the mood for any trouble tonight.

"Mmmh." Token let the sword drop back in its hilt. "Go outside to talk to him then, I don't want any disruptions in here." He gave a menacing glance at Tweek, then walked back towards the bar. The bard awkwardly cleared his throat from the stage, strumming his lute a few times to get the audience's attention.

"Come on," Tweek hissed, grabbing the drunk thief by the neck of his cape. "Outside, _friend_." He practically dragged him out the door, propping him against the outside wall. "What the fuck was that all about? Why are you in a tavern, and why are you drinking?" he demanded once they were alone.

"Ummmm…" he shrugged his shoulders. "I saved the cleric who runs it and then…uhm. I just wanted one but then I had a lot and I didn't know it was _that_ kind of drink!"

"It's a bar, Feldspar, what else did you think they'd serve? Fruit juice?"

"To be honest, y-yeah."

Tweek gently nudged his shoulder, shaking his head. "You're really quite the mess, aren't you?"

"I guess so." Feldspar pulled his arm out from his cape, holding up a full mug. "Look what I swiped on the way out," he teased, holding it out. "You want it?"

Tweek grumbled, yanking it out of his hand. "Might as well, if I want to put up with you and not get driven out of my mind." He chugged the mug in a few gulps, dropping the empty cup to the ground and wiping his mouth on the corner of his cape.

"So…What _are_ you doing here?" Feldspar finally asked. He was staring curiously at Tweek now, somehow having scooted closer while he was drinking.

"Um…" the king blushed, insisting in his head it was only because of the alcohol. "I…I was using the necklace," he admitted. "It keeps leading me to something, but every time I run into _you_ , it stops."

"You mean the one that…that shows you desires 'nd stuff?" Feldspar wrinkled his nose, hiccupping. "Ever think that maybe it stopped 'cause you found it?"

Tweek nearly choked on his own spit, coughing wildly. "Excuse me?"

"You know like…you just keep running into it and you don't realize it."

"No, that's not true at all!" He tried to keep his calm, not wanting to yell and draw attention. "If that was true, the answer would be you. You're interfering with it or something, you have some kind of…magic. Are you cursed?"

"Cursed? Why would I be cursed?" He widened his eyes at the accusation.

"Because you're messing up my plans! It's not you, why would I desire _you_?"

"Because I'm fine as hell," Feldspar giggled, nearly falling over.

Tweek let out a frustrated sigh, again slapping his hands onto his face. "This is pointless…"

"Well, what is it you think you desire?" the thief asked, collecting himself. "Maybe that'll be your answer?"

"I…" no, he couldn't tell the truth. Feldspar was after the same thing he was. "I…I had the Stick of Truth. But then I lost it on the way back to camp!" He hoped the lie would hold with the delusions of alcohol. "So I need to find it, and before I do…I want to learn more about it. Find out how it works."

Feldspar nodded, taking the bait. "Hmm. Maybe the necklace is leading you to someone who could help."

Tweek blinked a few times, then let out a gasp. "Feldspar! That's the smartest thing you've said all night!"

Feldspar frowned. "Smartest…wait a second-"

"Don't you see? You ARE the answer to my problems!" The king grabbed him by the hands, awkwardly dancing in a circle while Feldspar struggled not to fall over. "You must know something, or be able to provide me with information!" He took a deep breath, lifting his chest. "Feldspar, you are going to help me."

"Um. Why?" He closed his eyes, trying to regain his balance. "Last time I checked, you wanted to kill me."

"Never mind that now. How about a deal? You help me, I'll give you the necklace. You can take it back to your king and keep your life. It'll give you an equal chance at finding the Stick." He offered a hand, hoping Feldspar would take the deal.

"Ehhhh…okay." He took the hand, shaking it clumsily. "Deal. Now how are we gonna get the information, Tweeky?"

"Don't call me that," he corrected, thinking. "Ah, I got an idea. Notice anything about that bard?"

"The one in there?" Feldspar gestured behind himself.

"Yeah, the one on the stage."

"…Not really, no."

"I did." Tweek grinned. "He's an elf, did you see his ears? He was trying to hide it under his hat, but he's got them, alright. What does that mean?"

"…he's got money?"

"No, you moron," he gasped, hitting him against the back of his head. "First of all, just because he's an elf doesn't mean he's rich. It means he crossed the wall and hasn't been caught. Also, he's an entertainer, which means he's been all over and seen a lot of stuff. He's got skills, and probably knows some things we don't. We need to talk to him and get that information."

"How are we gonna do that?" Feldspar asked, rubbing the back of his head. "It's not like he's just gonna give something like that up so easily."

"We threaten to expose him." The king clapped his hands together, a mischievous smile on his face.

"…Isn't that playing dirty?"

"If you haven't noticed, barbarians play nothing _but_ dirty."


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, we're going to have to head back into the tavern," Feldspar said, eying the door. He was still a little wobbly from his drinks. "Unfortunately, you heard what Token said, no barbarians are allowed."

"Fuck him," the king replied, pointing behind himself. "He makes a fuss, I've got arrows. Just be quiet, and watch where you step. I swear it's bad enough being around you when you're sober, let alone…eugh." He grimaced. "You smell heavily of alcohol. If you survive through the night I'm going to shove you in a lake tomorrow."

"Whatever," he sighed, grabbing for the knife he kept in his boot. "Let's just make this quick. Hopefully he won't put up much'a fight. I already got enough blood on me for one day, yeah?"

Tweek ignored him, moving towards the door. "Keep up," he commanded, quietly opening it. The bard was wrapping up inside, and the entire tavern was distracted. Perfect. If they were quiet and inconspicuous, there would be no reason as to why they-

"FELDSPAR!" he gasped through gritted teeth. The thief had walked right into a table, causing it to fall over. "We're trying to be quiet!"

He looked up, a little dazed. "Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, sorry," he mumbled, focusing. Nobody had noticed, thank the gods. He began to follow behind Tweek as they moved along the outside wall, trying not to be seen.

"T-t-thank you! You've been a great audience!" the bard was yelling, waving excitedly. He carefully grabbed his staff, standing slowly from the stool he had been seated on. He then grabbed a second and began to move off the stage.

"There he is," Tweek whispered, watching him. "Let's follow. He's probably got a room to stay at here. Entertainers usually get free rooms." He noticed the bard opening a door on the far wall. "Come on Feldspar- hey, are you even listening?"

Feldspar was leaning against the wall, staring into space. "Yeah," he muttered, stepping forward and falling flat on his face.

"Why me?" Tweek whimpered, tugging at his hair. Without offering to help him up, he trudged towards the door with Feldspar scrambling to follow.

Peering inside, they found nothing but a hallway with empty rooms. All the doors were open but one. "Bingo. That's where our bard is." The king stepped in carefully, looking around. All seemed clear. Besides, he was just a little bard, how bad could he be? There was nothing to worry about. He waved at Feldspar to follow him as he knocked on the door. He may be a barbarian, but he did know his manners.

There was a long pause before something on the other side moved. "C-come in," a voice called.

Tweek glanced backwards, and Feldspar nodded. He slowly opened the door. "Bard?" he called in, seeing him sitting in the far corner, back to the door.

"Please, call me J-Jimmy."

"How about we call you _elf_."

The bard flinched, slowly turning. "What the f-f-fuck…are you getting at!?" he leapt to his feet, dashing forward and smacking Tweek hard in the chest with one of his crutches.

Tweek let out a scream, taken off guard. He stumbled backward, quickly grabbing for his bow only to find it was gone. "What the fuck!?"

"Oh. Looking for this?" The bard dangled the bow in front of him, smirking. "W-wow, the bow of a barbarian king. Quite lo…lo…lovely." He glanced up innocently. "Surely this would go for a large sum of cash."

Dammit, he had forgotten what he was dealing with. Elves were masters of sleight of hand and trickery. They could disarm you in a second if you weren't careful. He might be able to see glances into the future, or even have fabulously trained perception, able to read them in a matter of seconds. The little sneak had been waiting for them to arrive! "You give that back or my thief will-"

"That drunken mess couldn't lay a finger on m-me."

Tweek huffed. "What do you want?"

"I want you to keep your mouth shut." He raised a crutch, pointing at him. "I'll do you no h-harm if you keep my identity to yourselves."

"If you don't want to be charged as a criminal, I suggest you help us out." Tweek gestured to Feldspar, who had been silently leaning against the wall the entire conversation. God, he was too out of it, he would have to do this alone until he sobered up. "I need information on…the Stick of Truth."

Jimmy's eyes flashed dangerously. "Close the door, and drop your v-voice. Don't throw around that n-n-name so carelessly. And please put that thief to bed before he v-v….v….vomits all over the floor and I have to pay the cleaning fee!"

Tweek nodded quickly, shutting the door to the room and awkwardly putting his arm around Feldspar. He dragged him across the room to the bed, throwing him on top. He was already out like a light.

"Sit," Jimmy said, tossing him his bow back before gesturing to the floor. He slowly made his way down, facing him. "Why would the king of the b-barbarians need such an item?"

Tweek lowered himself to the floor, crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap. "I want to command it," he said simply.

"That is only a h-half truth. I can see it in your eyes." The bard raised an eyebrow. "You want to rule Zaron?"

"Shhhhhh, shhh! Geez, he's right on the bed!"

"He's out cold. Won't wake up until the m-morning. I suggest you get him water, he'll be h-hung over."

Tweek pursed his lips. Damn, the elf was good. "I don't want him to find out, anyway. I need him for my quest, and he'll never trust me if he knows what I'm going to do once I learn about the Stick."

"You want his trust because you….oh my. Is that a c-cr...crush I'm sensing?"

He let out a squeak. "NO! Not at all! He's a thief, the lowest of the low, I would never!"

"If you so choose to lie to yourself, then so b-be it." The bard shrugged his shoulders, adjusting how he was seated on the floor.

"…It's not about him. It's about me," he insisted.

"A king must do what he has to d-do, is that what you're thinking?" Jimmy stared at him, that glimmer in his eyes again. "Do you think you're in the right here? I can f-feel it. You know what you're doing is a b-bad choice."

He let out a choking sound, biting his lip to stay quiet. "Stop that."

"I can read you like an o-open book. The pages inside are few, but…" he closed his eyes, laughing under his breath. "…torn."

"What's that supposed to mean? Stop talking so mysteriously, all it's doing is annoying me!" he cried, raising his voice. "I'm not here for you to spill my secrets, I'm here about the s-"

"Ah, ah, ah, your highness. I'd watch y-your volume. Wouldn't want anyone to hear." Jimmy opened his eyes again. "I you want to find out more about the S-stick, you need to seek the help of someone who has seen it in action."

"Like who?"

"There are few…but the ones I think that may be of most help are the ones who have spent time with e-either the High Elf or the Grand Wizard."

"How am I even going to find them?" he asked, leaning forward. "Aren't those people usually their advisors? Don't they spend their days in the castle? Who do you want me to speak to, the princess? The paladin? The warrior?" he was growing frustrated.

"Precisely," the bard responded, calmly gesturing to Feldspar. "And you will bring both of us with you."

"Both? Why you?"

"That's my business, not y-yours. I will offer my skills if you allow me to t-t…travel with you."

Tweek bit his lip, taking a deep breath. "Fine. You can come with, but on one condition."

"Hmm?"

"Convince that damn cleric to come with us too."

"Hmm." Jimmy nodded. "I can tell that he is s-strong. Smart. Brave. A fantastic healer. He will be very h-helpful to our party. I can see what I can do. We will leave in the morning."

Tweek nodded, smiling. "Thank you, bard- er. Jimmy. I appreciate your companionship."

He gave a small grin, rising to his feet. "Now, your highness?"

"Yes?"

"Take your t-thief and get your own room for the night. He's making mine reek."

* * *

Tweek had slept soundly in the room over, having deposited Feldspar on the floor before putting himself in the bed. The thief was already fast asleep by that point; surely he wouldn't care where he was sleeping as long as he wasn't disturbed.

As soon as the sun began to rise, the barbarian king woke, stretching a bit before walking over to Feldspar and nudging him with his foot. "Hey. Thief. Get up."

Feldspar rolled to the side, blinking slowly before grabbing at his head with a small moan. "Eughhhh…"

"That's what you get for being a drunken idiot," he replied, grabbing the water he had prepared at the bard's request. "Drink this and then _please_ , get cleaned up out back before we get going."

"Get going?" he grumbled, sitting up and taking the water. "Where? Fuck, did I agree to something yesterday? I was drunk, I want out…"

"Nope. You promised me that you'd assist me with my quest and I'd give you the necklace. It told me that I need you for this to be a success. I'm not letting you go that easily." He threw open the window at the back of the room, taking a deep breath. "The bard and hopefully the cleric are coming along."

"The bard? You talked to the bard?" Feldspar felt lost. "Why didn't I talk to the bard?"

"You were passed out," Tweek said, grabbing for his boots that were sitting at the foot of the bed. He slid them on carefully, grabbing for his bow and arrows. "You did nothing last night but stumble around and annoy me before that!"

"Are you sure you wanna take me with you then, if you hate me so much?" Feldspar managed to his feet, taking a few wobbly steps but quickly regaining his balance.

"That's not an option, I already told you. It's been made apparent that you're crucial to my mission." He sighed. "…and I don't hate you. You just annoy me."

"Same difference."

"Shut up and get clean, before I make good on my promise to throw you in the lake," he retorted, throwing the quiver and bow on his back. "I'll be in the tavern when you're done. Don't take too long."

"Fine _mom_ ," Feldspar whined, exiting the room.

The barbarian king sighed, following suit once all their things were gathered up. He entered the main part of the tavern, looking around to find it empty except for the bard and the cleric who were sitting together at the bar. "I really hope you aren't drinking," he said loudly, drawing their attention.

"Don't worry, just t-talking." The bard gestured to the stool beside him. "Token will come w-with us."

Token said nothing, giving another uncomfortable glance towards Tweek.

"Relax. I'm not going to kill you if you play nice, cleric." He sat down on the stool beside the bard. There was a small platter of bread sitting just to his left, so he tore off a piece and began to eat. He hadn't since last night, and he was starving.

Token bit his lip, relaxing a little. "Sorry for being hostile. Your people usually mean bad things around these parts."

"I understand. It's reasonable to fear me." He shoved another piece of bread in his mouth.

"…honestly though, you're not much like the others, so it's not that big of a-"

Tweek threw the rest of the bread across the bar, smacking Token hard in the face. "Rule number one; do not ever, _ever_ comment on that."

"Ow! Geez, I'm sorry!" He said defensively, rubbing where the bread had hit him.

"Both of you, s-s-stop it," the bard scolded, rolling his eyes. "If we want to get anything d-done, there will be no fighting between you."

They both nodded, hanging their heads in shame.

"Where's the thief, anyway?" Token asked, looking around. "Wasn't he with you?"

"He's getting cleaned up. I think we'd all prefer him clean…sleeping in the same room as him was torture enough. Eh, speaking of Feldspar, there he is." Tweek turned to see him entering the room, looking much more awake and with a clean set of clothes.

"Where'd you get those?" Token asked.

"I s-set them out for him, don't worry," Jimmy assured him. "I knew that he would ne…ne…need them."

Tweek didn't question where the clothes had come from, just feeling thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with any more stink.

"How do I look?" Feldspar asked, spinning around in a circle, showing it off. A blue cap was on his head, hiding his dark hair, while a brown shirt and grey pants covered his body. Around his waist was a thick belt, a brown cape on his shoulders.

"Pretty good if you ask me," Tweek said, nodding thoughtfully.

"Cruuuuuush," Jimmy whispered, causing Tweek to swing around and smack him in the shoulder. He burst out laughing anyway.

Feldspar glanced between them, confused, but then just shrugged it off. "I'm ready when you guys are."

"I think we're all ready." Tweek began to move towards the door, holding it open. "Lead the way, Jimmy."


	7. Chapter 7

_The two kings dismounted their horses, assessing the rubble and littering of bodies._

" _Horrible," the High Elf muttered, looking around. It was an awful sight to see- an entire village wiped out, although the killers were unknown. "Nobody can even tell who did it…"_

 _Eric only nodded. "It's weird…really weird. This doesn't look like a barbarian attack, it's too messy. They don't destroy buildings like this, they just take what they want. And look." He gestured around himself. "Not an arrow in sight."_

 _The other king nodded sadly. "Not a single survivor has been found yet. An entire village, gone."_

 _The wizard walked forward, listening carefully as he turned in a circle. "I sense someone."_

" _Alive?"_

" _Of course they're alive," he grumbled, "or else I wouldn't be sensing them!" He began to follow the feeling, letting it lead him to a building that was half destroyed. The elf followed close behind. "Quick, help me move the rubble; I think they're in here!"_

 _The two kings quickly began to pull at the debris, tossing it aside until a small form became visible._

" _It's…it's a child!" The elf cried, dropping to his knees. "Are you okay?" He asked, gently shaking the little one's shoulders._

 _The child opened his eyes slowly, staring up at the king with eyes full of confusion. "What happened? Where's my mommy?" he asked softly, looking like he was to cry._

" _We don't know," the wizard replied, stooping beside his fellow king. "What's your name, child?"_

" _I'm…I'm Clyde."_

* * *

The Dark Lord sat impatiently in his throne room, bouncing his leg as he fiddled with his rings. He tended to do that when he was nervous, and he was very nervous right now. It had been four days since Feldspar had left the palace, and he was getting a little scared that something had gone wrong with his mission. He had called upon one of the most experienced drow from his army- a dark elf, known by his people as a child of the night. He had great vision, the ability to find individuals and see their current actions. The king hoped he would be able to solve his little problem.

The heavy door opened, and the drow elf entered, bowing before his king. He had sharp ears and teeth, long black hair with green undertones framing his sharp facial features.

"Rise," the lord commanded. "What have you seen, Mike?"

"I…I have some news, y-yes," he stuttered, rising slowly and brushing his hair behind his ears. He spoke with a slight lisp. "Um…I couldn't find him."

"Couldn't find him?" the king asked, tilting his head. "What does that mean? How can you not find him? You're the most powerful seer in my kingdom, HOW CAN YOU NOT FIND HIM?" He stood angrily from his throne, stomping his foot.

"Y-your highness, please!" the elf begged, dropping to his knees in apology. "I tried, but he's somehow evading my sight!"

"How?" the child huffed, calming down and sitting again. "That makes no sense, how does one evade a vision?"

"I'm detecting some sort of magic," the drow told him, pressing his hands together. "Someone's casting a spell that's protecting him from sight. He isn't dead, I can feel his presence, but I don't know where."

"Is he alone?"

"Not sure. I think there are others, but they're being hidden too."

The Dark Lord sighed, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. "I don't get it. He was supposed to enter the barbarian camp, get the Stick, and come back here. Now he's off gallivanting with someone who's hiding him from me! Why would they be hiding him?"

"I-If you don't mind me suggesting- aah, your highness," the elf said quietly, looking to the floor. "I think we have a traitor on our hands."

The Dark Lord let out a shriek of anger, standing quickly. "THAT LITTLE FUCKER!" He stormed past Mike, grabbing at a sword lying on a table near the door. "I'M GONNA KILL HIM! I'M GONNA KILL THAT THIEF! I BET HE HAS THE STICK ALL TO HIMSELF!" He swung it wildly, storming around the room with a frightened Mike still cowering in the center by the throne.

"Y-your highness-"

"SILENCE!" he gasped, throwing the sword on the ground. "You go back to your chamber and you keep trying to find him. I'm going to figure out who's protecting him and why, even if it means I need to leave this castle and go to the human kingdom myself!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way, Jimmy? It seems like we're heading away from the path."

The party of four had been walking for a few hours now, heading away from the tavern. Token had packed them bags with extra food and equipment, each of them having an individual ration in case they were separated. Jimmy was in the lead, using his seeing power to seek one of the important people he had mentioned the night before.

"Y-yes, it's this way. We're trying to f-f-find the paladin first. He often patrols the areas outside the p-path."

"I'm aware," Tweek grumbled. "I've run into him a fair amount of times. He's a pain in the ass to chase out, he just doesn't give up. Our tree attacks never work, he always manages to evade us!"

"He's very c…c….clever," Jimmy told him, carefully climbing down the side of a steeper hill, entering the trees. "For many years, he has been the Grand Wizard's r-right hand man. He's almost too good h-hearted, he tries his best to bring justice and happiness everywhere in the kingdom. But with such close alliance to the Wizard, he w-will never be totally pure."

"What have you got against the Grand Wizard?" Token asked, following close behind.

"I'm an elf," he sighed. "Of course I hate his g…guts."

"Then why are we going for the paladin?" Feldspar chimed in. "I mean…you hate him, so why talk to him?"

"He's r-relevant to this mission, and probably going to be the easiest to speak to. He may have a s-s-shitty alliance, but he's our best chance." They were well into the forest now, the trees blocking out the harsh sun and providing some much needed shade.

"So," Feldspar said quietly, falling into step beside the barbarian. "About last night."

"Eugh," the king sighed, already dreading what was coming next. "Are you going to apologize for being drunk? If not, I think you need to shut your mouth."

"Fine, I'm _sorry_ ," he stressed. "Now, can I continue?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't, but I know you aren't going to stop talking anyway. Get it over with."

"I don't remember much from last night, but I remember when we were talking outside." Feldspar made a funny facial expression, one hand brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "You said that your desires were leading you to me."

Tweek stumbled, nearly falling onto the dirt path. "I knew you should have shut your mouth!" he gasped, still trying to keep his voice low. "What the hell does that even mean?!"

"It means maybe you desire me like...that special kind of desire." He grinned at him, raising his eyebrows.

"Stop making that stupid face," Tweek chided, turning the other way and hiking his cloak a bit higher on his neck. He didn't want Feldspar to see his blush. "That's gross. Why would I?"

"I don't know, why _would_ you?" he scooted a little closer, gloved hand brushing against the king's.

Tweek only blushed more, biting his lip nervously. "Stop that, you're embarrassing me. If I wasn't so dependent on you to finish this quest, I'd shoot you in your dumb, lovesick heart."

"So you _do_ recognize that."

Fuck, he got him again. Their hands were so close now. All it would take would be for him to reach out and grab it… No. Stop. He wouldn't. This thief would trick him for the last time. His magic may be strong, but Tweek was stronger…

Fuck that. He grabbed his hand, immediately turning the other way and hiding his face in his cloak.

Feldspar let out a little gasp, grinning. "Oh my, your highness, how _scandalous_!" Despite his words, he too was blushing deep red across his lightly freckled skin.

"Eh, are you guys holding hands?" the cleric suddenly asked, looking behind himself.

"I'm making sure we don't get lost," Feldspar replied, a little too quickly.

"We're in an open forest."

"Just being safe."

"The king of the barbarians does not get lost," Tweek hissed, yanking his hand away and looking offended.

"Whatever," Token sighed, turning back to Jimmy.

Tweek slowly snuck his hand back into Feldspar's.


	8. Chapter 8

_He stood at the wall, holding her hands and trying to soothe her._

" _Must you go?"_

" _It's my duty, my lo…love," he whispered, cradling her face in one of his hands. "I have to, I cannot let him d-down."_

" _Promise you'll return safe, then?" She let out another sob, curling close._

" _I'll be back before you can m-miss me, my little songbird." He lovingly kissed her other cheek. "I'll be swift, and when I r-return, all will be right again for our kingdom."_

" _I trust you," she said softly, smiling through her tears._

" _This is g-goodbye then. Just think, when I c-come back, there'll be no need for this wall." He let go of her hands, tucking his crutches under one arm as he began to pull himself up the massive divide between the two kingdoms. The fate of Zaron now rested in his hands._

* * *

The day passed by quickly, with Jimmy in the lead as their party descended deeper into the forest. The cool breeze of morning turned into the intense heat of the afternoon, and then finally into the gentle warmth of the evening.

"We've been walking for hours," Feldspar complained, Tweek's hand still tucked inconspicuously into his, unseen as their capes kept them hidden. "How much further until we reach the paladin?"

"I t-told you. This could take a few days, Feldspar." Jimmy pushed away some brush from the path with his crutch, looking up at the sky. "It's starting to get dark, maybe we can set up c-camp soon."

They walked on in silence for a few minutes until it became unbearable. In a desperate attempt to lighten the mood, Token spoke. "You're awfully mysterious, aren't you Jimmy?"

"I guess," he said. "Why would you s-say that?"

"You've said nothing about yourself this entire trip," Feldspar chimed in. "You hidin' something?"

"Nah. Just didn't think you'd w-wanna k-know." Jimmy paused in his steps, looking back. "Why, are you c-curious?"

Token nodded. "What's it like in the elven kingdom? I've never been there."

"Of course you haven't. T-travel is forbidden." Jimmy smirked, moving forward again. "But I don't f-follow the rules." He looked to the sky again, thinking. "Let's s-stop here and make camp. Then…then I'll t-tell you."

Just about thirty minutes later, a camp had been readied by the travelers. A fire was started and the food they had brought from the cleric's tavern was passed around. The forest was quiet, the air cool, and the atmosphere rather relaxed. It was a nice change to rest their feet after being on the move all day.

"So, I think you owe us that story now," Token said, licking his lips as he passed around a small bag of berries to the others. "Where are you from over there? What's it like? Do you have a family?"

"Slooooow down," the bard laughed, taking the pouch and popping a few into his mouth. "One question at a t-time." He was sitting on an old stump, his lute and crutches cast beside him with his bag. "The elven kingdom is b-beautiful, let me tell you. Big trees everywhere, so most of us l-live in treehouses." He gestured to the sky to emphasize their height. "In the middle of the k-kingdom is a grand tree, the largest and the most be…beautiful. In that tree is a castle that belongs to the H-High Elf himself."

"Have you ever met him?" Tweek asked curiously. He hadn't ever even seen the High Elf, only heard of him in stories. The Dark Lord had torn the kingdom apart when he was a child, and the kings tended to stay hidden away in their respective castles. Much of the common folk hadn't seen them for a long time.

"No," he said quickly. "I'm just a bard, why would I have any business t-there?"

Tweek gave him a funny look, not sure if he believed him. Before he could say anything more, Token jumped to the next question. "If you're an elf, are you really old? Do you have a family?"

"I'm only about 70," he laughed. "I'm still pretty young for o-our standards. I've got a g-girl back at home though."

"Aww, how sweet. What's her name?" Feldspar teased, mouth full of fruit. Tweek playfully hit his shoulder, mumbling about how he should be more polite under his breath.

"Name's Leslie. She's a real s-sweetheart. She's an entertainer, like m-me. Sings at inns and such. Known her for most my li…li…life." He coughed, frowning. "Hate to leave her a-alone over there."

"Why'd you go?"

"I wanted to e-explore," he said. "I'm a bard, I love to entertain. I t-traveled into this kingdom for work."

Tweek frowned, feeling like that was another lie. Sure, he didn't have the bard's perception, but something seemed off about his statements. He seemed to know a little too much about the people they sought, it couldn't have been an accident he ended up at the tavern when he did. Something was going on here that was beyond his control, and he was itching to get to the bottom of it.

"What about you, Token?" Feldspar asked. "You got someone back at the tavern?"

"Yeah," he sighed dreamily, resting his hands on his cheeks. "You guys didn't get a chance to meet 'er, she's been outta town selling at the market. I got a nice wife named Nichole. We're both from the east part of the kingdom, you know, the really stormy area. Never liked rain much, so we moved here."

"How cute," Feldspar gushed. Tweek laughed at him. What a romantic.

"A good friend who helps me run the tavern will let her know I've gone out for a bit. She understands how much I love adventure, I can't pass it up."

"W-we're glad you came on this journey," Jimmy assured him. "Your company is much appreciated."

"What about you, thief? You ready to tell us where you came from?"

Feldspar froze, glancing up at Token, who had spoken. "I…um. I think it's best if I keep that to myself."

He nodded, not wanting to push further. "I get ya. Thieves usually don't share their secrets, eh?"

"Yeah." He hunched over, drawing his cape further around himself. He felt so lonely among the others. They all had families and partners and people who they cared about. Even Tweek had his village to care for.

"What about you, barbarian?" Token gestured to Tweek next. "You got a story about that blond hair of yours?"

Tweek glared at him, finding himself subconsciously sliding a hand to his hair and tugging at it. "I told you not to mention that."

"I'm just curious." Token shrugged, holding out his hands to the fire they were gathered around. "I bet it's a great story."

The area fell quiet as they glanced at each other.

"My parents were killed in a raid," Tweek said suddenly, straightening his back.

"Come again?" Feldspar asked, sitting up a little as well. Was the king finally going to talk? He had been curious since they had first met about who he was.

Jimmy said nothing, another strange gleam in his eye as he smirked at the king. He already knew.

"I was four years old and the barbarians stormed my village and killed everyone but me." Everything was silent, save for his voice and the crackling of the fire. "One of the women found me hiding in my house. She took me back with her and trained me and I became one of them. I _am_ one of them." He glanced around the group. "I may have different blood, but I am a barbarian all the same."

"How'd you become king then?" Feldspar pushed, nudging him. "Please, you can't just stop there."

The others looked on, curiously. "Yeah, come on Tweek, tell us more," Token seconded.

"Eugh…" he really didn't want to talk about it, but he had already begun. There was no turning back now. "I was 7 when the news broke out. You know, that the Dark Lord had risen to power. The two kings were still united; everyone was trying to keep calm. Our king at the time was a brave man, probably the best king the people had ever seen." He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. He was already shaking. "One…one day…when I was 14…" he froze, unable to speak, chest becoming tight.

"Tweek, you alright?" Feldspar asked, noticing the look in his eyes. "Tweek?"

* * *

 _The sound of beating drums drew the young boy's attention. The entire village was startled as they were called by the king. Something was happening- something bad._

 _He grabbed at his little bow, shaking as he followed his mother towards the center. There the king was, standing before what looked to be an army._

" _Leave us be! We have nothing you want!" he was yelling, raising his sword to the one in front._

" _Our king sent us here to fight you," the soldier replied. "You will either give us all your children for the Dark Lord's army, or we will kill your people."_

" _I will not give you our children," the king said, raising the sword a bit higher. "You will have to kill me first!"_

" _So be it," the soldier hissed, lunging forward and stabbing him straight through the chest._

 _Chaos erupted as their king fell to the ground, dead._

 _His mother turned to him, a hand on his shoulder. "Stay here, my Tweek, do not be afraid. I will protect you!" She drew her weapon, dashing into the crowd to fight off the invaders._

 _Tweek let out a scream, memories of his childhood flooding back. He didn't want to see a bloodbath, no, not again. With fear in his little eyes, he scrambled backwards, bow tight in his hands. He panicked, unable to breathe. This was the end, he was going to die, he was going to-_

 _He heard a familiar scream come from somewhere in the crowd, and the fear disappeared. Determination filled his soul as he ran forward, into the mass of clashing weapons and falling bodies. Before he could reach her, the soldier's leader had stabbed his mother, leaving her corpse on the ground._

" _NO!" he cried, the fire in his chest erupting. Everything she had ever taught him was screaming in his head. Before he could even breathe, an arrow was resting against his fingers and he was pulling back, pulling back-_

 _It struck the soldier square in the heart, killing him instantly._

 _The Dark Lord's soldiers took notice, trying to figure out where the arrow had come from. Without a second of hesitation, Tweek grabbed a second arrow, firing it at another soldier. He too was hit, felling him easily. As more arrows flew from his tiny fingers, the soldiers began to draw back. There were calls of retreat before they vanished back into the woods where they had come, too scared of losing their lives to the impossibly accurate arrows._

 _When all had cleared, the entire village was looking at Tweek. He cowered again, dropping his bow, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. They had killed who he loved most, and now he was alone._

 _A village elder slowly stepped forward, the crown of the fallen king in his hands. He said not a word, slowly lowering it onto Tweek's head and bowing._

 _The entire village lowered their heads to the small boy who had saved them all._

* * *

"Tweek?"

The barbarian jumped, eyes wide as he looked at Feldspar.

"Hey. It's okay. You don't have to talk about it."

Tweek nodded slowly, pulling his cloak a little tighter around his neck.

"I think that's enough story telling for one night," Token said softly. "We should rest, we have another long day of traveling in the morning. If we want to reach the paladin, we are going to need to move quickly."

Jimmy nodded. "Let us r-rest."

Feldspar offered an arm to Tweek, beckoning him closer. "Here, it's cold. Come sleep with me, alright? My cape's thick enough for the both of us."

The king nodded again, still silent as he moved closer. The two of them lay on the forest floor together, Feldspar taking off his cape and wrapping it around them.

"Craig," he said softly after a few seconds of silence.

"Hmm?"

"That's my real name." He smiled up at the stars. "Before I became a thief. My name was Craig. I thought you might want to know. You asked me a few days ago, when you were trying to interrogate me."

Tweek smiled. "Craig. I like it." He curled a little closer, closing his eyes as he rested his head against Feldspar's shoulder.

There was more silence, the sound of Token's snoring echoing softly through the forest.

"Were you scared?" Feldspar whispered. Tweek could feel him scooting closer, an arm wrapping around his waist. He knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Terrified."

More silence.

"You're really brave. Whatever you did, I think you deserve to be king." It was dark, but Tweek could see his smile.

He smiled back, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

" _We have a serious problem on our hands, and I refuse to stand idly by because you want to play games!" Eric stormed into the room, staff held tightly in his fist._

" _Eric, stop it," the High Elf gasped, alerted by the sudden entrance. "I told you, we aren't going to engage with our armies, it will only lead to more problems."_

 _The wizard huffed, pounding the bottom of the staff against the floor. "Kyle, you don't understand. There have been attacks on several small villages. Our people are being murdered and their children are being stolen. You cannot tell me to sit here and do nothing about it."_

" _I'm not telling you to do nothing," the king corrected, "I'm telling you not to let your violent instincts control you."_

" _I don't care," he repeated. "I really don't care about what you think. I'm going to send the army out tonight, and we are going to attack Clyde's army. There is no other choice-"_

" _We build a wall."_

" _A wall?"_

" _A wall. We keep our part of the kingdom safe, and we keep his part out." Kyle clapped his hands._

" _A wall is not going to prevent him from entering, are you a moron?!"_

" _No, but it will slow him down. It's the best chance right now." Kyle shook his head. "I know you don't want to follow my methods, but I told you that giving in is only going to break the kingdom further. The stress of the war is getting to both of us, but we must not act impulsively. Remember what I told you- we need to work together or all is lost."_

" _Fine." The Grand Wizard said nothing more and turned, leaving the elf alone._

 _Kyle's eyes flashed, a sad expression on his face. "Although…I get the feeling that the crumbling of our friendship is inevitable."_

* * *

Feldspar awoke to the sound of a strumming lute. He squinted in the morning sunrise, adjusting to the light. His limbs were intertwined with the barbarian's, their bodies close together. With a small sigh, he carefully slid out from under him, trying not to disturb his sleep.

"M-morning," Jimmy said softly, continuing to pluck at his lute.

"You're up early," Feldspar commented, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms. "Are we the only ones up?"

"Yeah. Token and Tweek are still out c-cold." The bard smiled. "I see you two had a p-pleasant sleep."

Feldspar blushed, rubbing his cheek. "Yeah. It was nice."

Jimmy said nothing, fiddling with the strings a bit faster now, making quiet music.

"I'm… I'm gonna go for a walk, alright? If Tweek wakes up, tell him I'll be right back." Feldspar shivered without his cape, but he wasn't going to pull it off of the sleeping king.

"You got it," Jimmy assured him.

With a deep breath, the thief started into the woods, walking slowly and trying to get himself going. The forest was pretty quiet other than the sound of some birds and leaves rustling under his boots. He didn't want to wander too far from the camp, given that they were getting close to where the paladin might be. He didn't want to get ambushed without the others nearby for backup.

As he walked, thoughts began to fill his head. It had been 5 days now since he had left the Dark Lord's castle, and he was sure that the king was getting suspicious. Why was he even doing this? He knew he had been promised that necklace, but it felt like there was something more. If it was really about the necklace, he could have just swiped it last night while Tweek was asleep and made a break for the wall. Deep in his gut, he knew there was a reason he was with the other three. It probably wasn't as important as he hoped, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe fate was drawing them together for something spectacular.

Before he could finish his thought, a strange noise distracted him, causing him to freeze. His hand slid down his leg to his boot, grabbing for his knife. "Who's there?" he commanded, voice still low.

"Come closer, Feldspar," a voice whispered from somewhere nearby.

"Where are you?" He looked around until his eyes settled on a tree, a mysterious figure sitting on one of the branches. Their head, and subsequently their face, was hidden by an oversized hood. "How do you know my-"

"That's unimportant." The voice was hard to hear, but it was defiantly coming from the hooded figure. "I've been watching you. You need to be very careful, or everything that has been put into motion will halt, and Zaron is done for."

"What?!" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The hell were they going on about? "That doesn't make any sense."

"He's going to betray you all. Do not fall for his tricks, Feldspar."

"Who?!"

Before the figure could answer, a yell came from the direction of camp. "I must go," they said, suddenly climbing up into the tree and leaping along its branches.

"WAIT! WHO IS IT?!" he shouted. "WHY DO ALL YOU PEOPLE SPEAK IN RIDDLES?!"

"Feldspar, why are you yelling?" came a familiar voice, accompanied by the sound of running feet. The barbarian king nearly ran into him as he struggled to come to a stop. "Jimmy said you'd been gone for a while, so I came to find you. Are…are you alright? You look like you saw a ghost."

"I honestly just might've," he said slowly, still staring up at the tree. "You ever seen a weird person in a hood?"

"You're gonna need to be more specific than that, there's lots of weirdos in hoods running around these forests."

Feldspar growled, turning to him. "They had a dark hood and cape…I couldn't make out a face and the voice was so soft I couldn't figure out what kind of person it might belong to. It's kinda creepin' me out…"

Tweek looked worried, slapping a hand against Feldspar's forehead. "Are you sick or something? Maybe it was your imagination."

"No, no…I'm sure I saw it!" he gasped, pointing to the tree. "They were right there, and they told me that one of you is gonna…" he stopped, squinting his eyes suspiciously. "Never mind."

"Craig?"

He flinched at the sound of his old name being spoken, expression falling. "It's nothing. You're right, probably just sick or something. Let's get back to camp. We need to find the paladin today, right?"

"Yeah." Tweek held out a hand, hoping to make him feel better. "Come on, thief, let's get back to the others then."

Feldspar took his hand, starting back towards the camp. He stole one last glance up in the tree. "I know I saw something."

* * *

About an hour later, the group was fed and packed up for another day of travel. "We should probably reach him t-today," Jimmy told them, again taking the lead. "I'm sensing that he is close by."

They began walking behind him, following quietly.

"How are we going to…you know. Talk to this guy?" Token asked. "I highly doubt we can just walk up to him and question if he knows about the Stick."

"When you see him, d-do not feel fear," Jimmy said. "Think of him like a j-judge. If he senses you're kind and good h-hearted, he will be friendly. Watch your la…language, be polite, and he will t-trust us. The minute you become hostile, he will not h-h-hesitate to strike us down with his h-hammer. Got it?"

The others nodded, Tweek nudging Feldspar's shoulder. "That especially goes for you, mister sarcasm."

"Hey, I know when I need to keep my mouth shut," he said defensively, giving a nudge back. "I just choose not to, most the time." Everyone laughed, and Feldspar blushed.

A few more hours of silent walking passed, before Jimmy held up a hand. "Stop, everyone f-freeze."

They stood still, listening and looking around.

"He's just ahead," he whispered. "Remember what I t-told you, be kind. If he attacks, d-do not fight back. Stand your ground and clear your m-minds. I will do the talking."

They nodded, slowly advancing again, nervously anticipating running into him any moment. Hardly a minute passed before a voice yelled out somewhere in the distance. "Who's there?"

"Paladin!" Jimmy called back. "We are but t-travelers. We mean you no harm."

The paladin slowly walked into view from a cluster of trees, a hammer clutched tightly in his fists. "I'm getting a suspicious vibe," he said softly, closing his eyes. "You're wanderin' a bit too close to the castle, aren't you? State your business."

"We just want to talk to you," Feldspar interrupted, causing Jimmy to turn around and glare at him.

"I told you to be q-quiet," he hissed, turning back. "We want to ask you something, is a…a…all."

The paladin opened his eyes, lowering his hammer. "You pass the test for now," he told them, pointing the weapon to each of them. "But my guard is still up. Follow me, I have an outpost near here we can talk at. When we get there, leave your weapons at the door- just a precaution."

The party followed him into the woods until they reached a large building with a heavy metal door. As instructed, they left their weapons outside in a sign of peace before going inside. The paladin lit a few torches, sitting down at a large table. He gestured to the seats, inviting them to sit.

"So…why are you here?" he said finally, once everyone was settled.

"We are on a mission to gather information about the Stick of Truth," Tweek spoke up, hands folded against the table. "With that information, we hope to…find the artifact, and set Zaron right again."

The paladin frowned, looking worried. "Um…Y-you guys might want to…not talk about that here."

"Why?" Feldspar asked, confused at the paladin's sudden change in attitude.

"King Eric doesn't like people talkin' about it, see…" He rubbed his hands together, seeming to have become uncomfortable. "He's been searchin' for it for a long time. It's been gone for 10 years, you know, and anyone who might have information he kinda…captures. An' probably kills 'em. So you might not want to get any closer to the castle, if I were you."

Tweek looked shocked, glancing at the others. "Aren't you close to the king?"

"W-well yes, I am. But I only joined him a few years ago, and my job is mostly to patrol out here. I do it 'cause I mostly don't want anyone gettin' too close to the castle and gettin' hurt."

"So you've never seen the Stick in action?!" Tweek didn't mean to raise his voice, but his frustration was apparent.

"N-no sir, mister barbarian. Not once."

Before he could speak again, Jimmy cut him off. "T-thank you for the information, paladin. We appreciate your h-help."

Tweek gawked. "So we're done here? Just like that? We traveled two days for nothing?"

"Hold your tongue," Jimmy hissed.

"I'm s-sorry, I wish I could be of better help." The paladin sighed. "For now, you all should get out of here and head the other way, before the king figures out you're here and why."

"Thank you," Token said, standing from his seat. The party filed out, grabbing their weapons and heading away from the outpost. It only took a few minutes before Tweek couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Geez, what the hell are we going to do now, huh? I thought you were all knowing, Jimmy, you fucking played us?"

"I did not foresee the paladin h-having no information," he replied calmly, but there was a hint of frustration in his voice. "We're lucky the wall is not too fa…far from here. We're going to have to hop it and enter the e-e-elven kingdom."

"What about the princess?" Feldspar asked. "She's still here?"

"No, we can't r-risk that," Jimmy told him. "You heard what the p-paladin said. Castle is too dangerous."

"Elven kingdom it is," Tweek grumbled, crossing his arms. "We should have just gone there in the first place."


	10. Chapter 10

"G-Grand Wizard?" The timid paladin opened the door to the castle, calling in. He really hated confronting the king without any warning, as it usually lead to unfavorable circumstances, but he felt that this was urgent.

The king was not in the main room of the castle as he had hoped. With a small sigh, and still dreading the news he would have to share, the paladin pushed onward, searching around until he heard noise in one of the castle's many chambers. When he pushed open the door, the Grand Wizard was found resting at a table.

"Butters, why the fuck are you here? You're supposed to be patrolling!" he shouted, slamming a fist on the table. "This had better be good, or there will be consequences-"

"P-please, your highness," he interrupted, still trembling a little, "you know how I'm s-supposed to…uh…tell you if there's any tresspassin' near the castle?"

The king froze, looking at him with peaked curiosity. "Go on."

He hated to betray the kind travelers, but rules were rules. "There were four people who came through earlier. Two of 'em stood out to me, kinda suspicious fellas. One of them had pointy ears- he's an elf I think, and the other was a barbarian. He really didn't look like one though, he had a funny lookin' face, the others don't have that kinda face-"

Eric raised his hand, signaling him to stop. "I've heard enough of that, you don't need to continue. Tell me, did he have a black crown on his head?"

"A wreath sir, yes."

"Hmm." He laughed under his breath, a smile coming to his face. "This just got interesting. What did they want?"

"They wanted to ask me about…uh…" The paladin pressed his hands together, taking a deep breath. "They wanted information about the Stick, sir. Said they were lookin' to find out about it so they can set Zaron right, or somethin' along those lines…And then they went on about how they were gonna try to talk to your niece next, but then they decided it was best to stay far away from you." he trailed off, biting his lip. The king would not like that.

"They were right about that- if they went anywhere near the princess, there would be death. I don't care if they're part of my kingdom or not. Any clue where they were heading?" The king was still relatively calm.

"I sent Scott out to patrol the wall- I followed them for a bit and I overheard them say that they were gonna head into the elven kingdom." The paladin bowed his head. "I believe that they can be captured if this is the case."

"No, let them cross," the king said suddenly, a strange look on his face. "If they enter the elven part of Zaron, they will be trespassing, and I am sure one of their scouts will catch them. My old friend Kyle will surely execute them for me. No need to get my hands dirty if I don't have to, eh?" He moved to stand, then stopped. "On second thought, let all the humans pass, but capture the elf. I want to kill that scum myself. He'll survive if he makes it back home."

Butters nodded, hands still clasped tightly together. "Should I send word to Scott by carrier raven?"

"Yes," he said, nodding back, "but we are forgetting an important part of this situation we need to address."

"A-and what's that?"

"The barbarian king is in cahoots with one of my enemies. I've had an agreement with his people for years, far back before the war- we both will leave each other alone and stay on neutral grounds. However…the so-called king has broken that promise by assisting an elf. I think we need to teach his kind a little lesson, don't you?"

* * *

"Are we getting close to the wall?"

It was nearing night again, and the four were determined to press on until they had safely arrived across the wall before setting up camp. Jimmy had assured them it was the safest bet. Camping near the wall on the human side was clearly more dangerous after having spoken with the paladin.

"We're nearing it, y-yes," Jimmy said, scanning ahead. "Are you sure you're ready to cross? This is going to be very difficult, not to mention illegal for all the rest of you."

"I'm prepared to cross if it means we get one step closer to the Stick," Tweek grumbled. He'd been in a horrible mood ever since leaving the paladin's quarters. He was frustrated with all the travel and just how long this was taking. He had told his most trusted warriors that he might not be back for a while when he left following the necklace a few nights ago, but being away from his village was giving him anxiety. Barbarians relied heavily on a king to guide them; they worked best as a team with a strong leader. Without him there, if something went wrong, there ran the risk of disaster.

He didn't want to think about what that might mean.

"W-well good, because look." Jimmy pointed ahead. The wall was finally coming into view. "We're here. K-keep low, and watch your s-step. We don't know who might be g-guarding it."

The others nodded silently, taking slow steps with Jimmy still in the lead. Feldspar fell into step beside Tweek, quietly taking his hand. Tweek said nothing, just giving a small squeeze of recognition and acceptance. It made him feel a little better.

They approached the wall, nothing having disturbed them. "Looks like this may be easier than we thought," Token whispered, looking up. "If nobody attacks us, then the most difficult part is going to be the actual climb up."

"Don't l-let your guard down," Jimmy scolded, running a hand along the rough bricks. "It may l-look clear, but I a-assure you- there is always s-someone w…wai…waiting."

There was a moment of stillness, the four of them listening carefully.

"I hear nothing," Tweek sighed, a bit too loudly. "Can we please just get going?"

"Quiet," Feldspar chided, gritting his teeth. "You heard him, someone might-" He couldn't even finish before there was the sound of a yell somewhere behind them. He turned quickly on his heels, staring at a figure emerging from the shadows.

"Travelers, you may not cross this wall!" The voice was nasally with a lisp, making it a little hard to understand. "I will only spare you if you leave the elf behind!"

They all exchanged glances, hearts pounding in their chests. "Before any of you even dare say it, no, we are not leaving Jimmy behind," Token hissed. "We are going to get over this wall though. I did not come all this way to get captured before seeing the elven kingdom, got it?"

"F-Feldspar, you have climbed this wall before, h-haven't you?" Jimmy said quietly, staring down the shadowed figure. "Let me climb on your b-back. We will be f-faster if you do."

"But then I'll be slower!"

"Feldspar, do you want to fucking live or not?!" Tweek gasped. "Put the bard on your back and climb the damn wall before I throw you at the threatening guy over there and make a run for it!"

"I am awaiting your decision! I do not have all day!" the voice shouted, stepping forward. "Give me the elf or face certain death!"

Feldspar gulped, biting his lip. "Okay, on three, Jimmy get on my back and I'll dash as fast as I can. You two gotta hurry as well, okay?"

The three silently accepted it, prepared to move on his mark.

"One…two…THREE!"

The plan flew into action. Jimmy threw himself onto Feldspar, clinging to his back with his arms around his neck and legs around his waist. Tweek and Token grabbed the wall, making quick progress as they scaled the side. Shortly after them came Feldspar, slightly weighed down by Jimmy but making quick progress nonetheless.

The shadowed figure moved forward, running as fast as he could. "Stop! You…you can't do that! You're gonna die now, I warned you!"

They ignored him, halfway up the wall now. Feldspar was struggling with his footholds, hands slipping in his sweaty gloves.

"Push on, F-Feldspar, you're doing good," Jimmy gasped, looking down behind them. "He's staring up the w-wall but he's slow!"

The encouragement helped the climbers keep their energy, pushing until they could grasp the top of the wall and pull themselves up. At the top, they spent no time beginning their decent. Even if the person hesitated to follow them over, it wasn't worth the risk. Before they knew it, they had reached the bottom safely, the curses of the threat on the other side.

"We did it," Feldspar gasped, out of breath. "God damn…" Jimmy slid off of his back, adjusting his crutches back under his arms.

"Thank you f-for the help," he said, smiling. "The first time I c-crossed, it took me quite a w-while. I knew I w-would not make it."

"No problem," he grumbled, rubbing at his back. "Can we set up camp now? I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, let's get a fire going," Token seconded. "It's damn cold and getting dark. We don't want to venture too far into this place when it's dark. Who knows who's waiting out there?"

"Not to mention three out of four of us have never been here," Tweek added. "We're going to want light to travel by."

"Fine, f-fine…let's head this way a bit, a-away from the wall." Jimmy waved them in the direction he wanted to travel. "I'm sure there's a c-clearing near here."

They followed behind him. It was a familiar pattern now- Jimmy would lead, with Token just behind him and Feldspar and Tweek a little behind from there. They traveled in their formation for only about 10 minutes before finding a good place to camp. They set up quickly, making a fire and sitting around it.

"I'm honestly nervous to be over here," Token said once they had settled in. "This place is…unfamiliar."

"And illegal," Feldspar chimed in.

"Yeah, there's that."

It didn't take long for them to start to doze off. Jimmy and Token lay off to one side of the fire, Feldspar and Tweek resuming their closeness from the night before.

"Craig?" came the king's soft whisper.

"I find it funny you keep using that name," he replied. "Nobody has called me that for many, many years."

"I like it. I think it makes our conversations more…personal." The king snuggled closer, smiling at him. "I can't believe a few days ago I wanted to kill you. Now look at me." He tugged at his hair. "I'm getting cozy with you and calling you by secret names."

"That makes this situation sound a lot better than it actually is," Feldspar sighed, but smiling all the same.

"Between you and me, it's honestly really great." He closed his eyes, preparing himself. "Would you like to…um. Take a walk with me? I'm not ready for bed yet."

"S-sure," he stuttered, blushing. The two stood up and took hands, wandering into the deeper forest.

Once he felt comfortable and alone, Tweek began to speak. "You know…I've always been lonely. All my life. My parents died when I was little, my adoptive mother was killed. I never really fit in. But then you come along, you fucking thief…and you turn everything around."

"I can say the same for you," Feldspar laughed. "Here I was, a kid who got recruited to the dark kingdom. I forced myself to train hard, I become the Dark Lord's favorite soldier, I get appointed head thief. I go on a mission for him and I expect nothing but success. I was blinded by loyalty until you stared at me with those intense eyes in that cart. All the sudden…I didn't think that my original mission was so important anymore."

They stopped walking, eyes meeting in the dark twilight.

"Craig," Tweek said slowly. "I trust you, and you trust me. I've been in doubt this entire time about what this means to me." He grabbed at the necklace, holding it between his fingertips. "I didn't want to admit it, I wanted to be stubborn."

"Just like any barbarian would," Feldspar said, a strange feeling filling his chest.

"Yeah," he grinned, tilting his head. "Now I realize that your drunk ass was right. This necklace was leading me to you, not because I needed you on this quest. I just…I needed _you_."

Feldspar was a blushing mess, trying not to let out a squeak. "Y-you mean that?"

"Yeah. And I'm gonna prove it." He slowly lifted the necklace off his head, holding it out. "I'm giving this to you, as a sign of trust. I know you'll stay with me, because you feel the same way, right?"

Feldspar lowered his head, allowing Tweek to place it around his neck. The necklace glowed brightly, more intense than it had ever been before it faded out. "I…I think…"

"Shh." Tweek leaned a little closer, heart fluttering. "I love you too."

All at once, the world stood still as their lips collided. Feldspars hands immediately went to the other's shoulders, pulling him close. It was the moment he had been waiting for all along, ever since he had first laid sight on his face. They both pulled back, blushing and breathless, before bursting out into happy giggles. Everything seemed right in the world.

It didn't last.

Before they could head back to camp, the sound of war cries could be heard from somewhere above. The two jumped, clinging to each other and glancing around. Their happy faces turned to fear.

"Run," Tweek whispered, heart pounding, "Craig, fucking RUN!"

Feldspar didn't hesitate as he grabbed Tweek's hand, making a mad dash for the camp. The sounds were getting louder. He only hoped Jimmy and Token were alright. Before he could even think too hard on it, the familiar sound of whizzing arrows graced his eyes.

"They're shooting at us!" he cried, Tweek managing to get a bit ahead of him. Their hands were still clasped tightly as they began to search for camp. "We need to hide, now!"

"No time!" Tweek shouted, leading them left and right to avoid the ambush. "You can't hide from arrows like this, there are too many! We need to keep moving and only hope that the other two are already running!"

Feldspar tried not to scream, silently agreeing as they hurried along. "GUYS! GUYS! RUN!" he called, hoping it was enough of a warning.

The stumbled into the camp, looking around before their eyes fell on Jimmy, standing alone.

"Jimmy!" Tweek gasped. "We need to run, there's-"

"Elves." He stood still, a blank expression on his face. "I'm s-sorry."

His strange words made them both freeze, panic seizing their bodies. Before they could make another decision, a strange net was suddenly upon them, trapping them down. They grabbed for each other, letting out cries and struggling to break free.

"Jimmy, please," Feldspar pleaded as the bard walked forward. "What's going on?"

"I have to obey my king's o-orders," he said unhappily. "I was to successfully b-bring you here, and I've done my j-job." He closed his eyes, raising one of his crutches towards them. "Use the m-magic, let's get them to the castle."

"NO!" Tweek screamed before a group of elves were upon them, and everything went black.


	11. Chapter 11

Feldspar let out a groan, rolling to the side and grabbing at his head. Again, for the second time this week, his head ached badly from getting knocked out. He had to get up, had to find Tweek-

Tweek.

Holy shit, where was he?

His eyes blinked open, squinting in the dim light as he looked around his surroundings. He was in some sort of prison cell. The floor was rough and scratchy against his body, the entire thing being made of cement other than the far wall, which was covered in metal bars with a huge door. As soon as he was able to focus, he leapt to his feet, throwing himself against the bars and shaking them wildly. After a few hard shakes, he began to panic, feeling like a trapped animal. "TWEEK!" he shouted, kicking the bars hard before letting out a scream of pain and stumbling backwards, falling on his butt.

He let out a hiccupping sob, throwing his hands to his face. Jimmy, that fucking bastard, he had played them like his stupid lute. He had no idea where he was, or where Tweek and Token were, or why he had even been captured in the first place. Jimmy had said something about the king- did the king want him? Why?

He slowly lifted his head, taking deep breaths and trying to focus. He needed to figure out an escape plan and fast. He had a bad feeling that the king was not going to be too friendly towards them, let alone spare their lives. Before he could begin to think, a faint glowing from around his neck distracted him.

The necklace. He still had the necklace!

With a triumphant gasp, he threw his hands around the stone, squeezing tightly. "Holy shit, am I glad I have you," he breathed, staring down at it. "Come on, come on, work your magic. Show me Tweeky, okay?"

The necklace immediately tugged against him, somewhere to his left. Now all he had to do was get out of the cell. He crawled back over to the bars, inspecting them carefully. They were huge, thick ones. It was clear that whoever had trapped him here did not want him to be getting out. The door was padlocked tightly, and the bars were too close together for him to stick his arm through to pick it. He pressed his head against them, letting out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't even break out of the cell, how was he going to reach either of his companions?

A sudden noise alerted him, causing him to jerk his head up. A strange hooded figure stood before him, staring at him from the other side of the bars. After a moment of assessing him, his eyes widened. "You!" he gasped, pointing a finger. "It's you! The one from the tree in the forest! I told him you were-"

"Real? Yes, very much so." The figure still whispered, barely audible. "I've come to free you. You must listen to me, Feldspar. I warned you that he would betray you, did I not?"

"Well, you didn't say who. I honestly didn't see any of this coming," he huffed, shaking the bars again. "Could you get me out of here?"

"Absolutely. When I open this door you need to find the others and get out of here. The king may have good intentions, but he is making a choice that will but this whole quest in jeopardy. You cannot listen to his plan, no matter how reasonable it may sound."

Feldspar tilted his head. "His plan?"

"I cannot stay long. I've got to get out of here before the king catches me," the figure hissed, gesturing behind him. "You'll find out in time, unless you get out of here." He grabbed at the lock, breaking it instantly in his hands. Feldspar let out a gasp, jumping as the door swung open. "Now, flee!"

Feldspar didn't hesitate, grabbing at the necklace again and quickly dashing out of the cell, closing his eyes and taking quick breaths as he tried to get a feel for where he was to go. After a moment he felt the tug, pulling him down the hallway. "Tweek!" he cried out, running quickly across the floor, cape flying behind him. "Tweek, are you in here?"

There was the sound of a faint calling somewhere in the distance.

"Tweek? Token? Where are you guys?" he yelled again, pausing and listening until both the necklace and his hearing hinted him to turn right at the end of this hall. He followed the pulling, running straight for the fork at the end of the room and turning sharply, still listening. The cries were getting louder, he knew that at least one of them was nearby.

It wasn't long before he found another jail cell with a figure inside. He halted to a stop, slamming himself against the door. "Token!" he gasped, reaching for the knife in his boot and hacking at the lock on the door.

"Feldspar! God, I'm so glad to see you," he gasped from inside, rushing to the bars. "What the hell happened?"

"Jimmy tricked us," he gasped angrily, still cutting the lock. "I think we're in some prison at the High Elf's castle."

"Fuck, this isn't good at all," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I assume you didn't find Tweek yet."

"Not yet, but I'm close," Feldspar said, finally breaking the lock. It clattered to the floor and he pulled the door open, waving his hand. "Come on, we need to get out of here as quickly as we can. Let's grab Tweek and go!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," Token said, running from the room and letting Feldspar take the lead as he followed the necklace. It wasn't much further before he stopped before another cell with a figure curled up on the floor.

"Tweek?" he yelled, but there was no response. "Damn, he's still out. We need to get in there," Feldspar whispered, trying to stay quiet. He wasn't sure if it was paranoia, but he was sure he was hearing footsteps elsewhere in the cells.

"Hurry, get the door open. Doesn't look like they took anything but our bags- I still have some medicine in my pockets if we need it," Token said, worriedly grabbing the bars and looking inside.

Feldspar didn't hesitate to begin to saw at the lock, smacking it repeatedly until it too broke and hit the floor. "Come on, we need to get him up!" The necklace stopped glowing as soon as he entered, scrambling to the barbarian's side.

Tweek's eyes were closed tightly, body limp when Feldspar tried to lift him. He brought his head into his lap, petting his hair away from his face. "Tweek, come on, you gotta get up, we need to run," he said, urgency in his voice. "Please, just wake up…"

Tweek's eyes fluttered open, looking up. "Craig?" he mumbled, clearly out of it. "What's goin' on? Where are we…"

"Prison cells, we need to escape before someone comes for us," Feldspar said, nudging him to sit up.

"Headache," Tweek whimpered, both hands running through his hair and curling up upon himself.

"The magic hasn't worn off yet," Token said, grabbing a vile from his pocket. "He must have gotten hit hard. This should help a little." He uncapped it, practically shoving it in the barbarian's mouth and forcing him to drink the clear liquid it contained. Tweek coughed, eyes widening a little.

"Holy shit," he mumbled, slowly getting to his feet with the help of the others.

"Good job, up you go," Feldspar encouraged, giving a faint smile. "Here, I'll carry him. Help him onto my back, like how I carried Jimmy back at the wall." Between the two of them, they managed to lift Tweek's dead weight onto him, securely clinging to his torso. "Alright, let's run."

The three took off, now a complete party. "Any idea how to get out of here?" Token asked, looking around. It seemed like an endless maze of hallways and empty prison cells. "This is really not looking good."

Feldspar closed his eyes, trying to think. He was sure there were footsteps somewhere nearby now, they were too loud to ignore. "Turn around," he said suddenly, freezing. "We need to go the other way, someone's-"

He never got to finish his sentence. Two figures came around the corner, each brandishing large swords in their hands. One was blond, the other brunet, their tipped ears clearly visible as they poked through their hair. Unlike other elves Feldspar had seen, they made no effort to hide their identities.

"Looks like our prisoners are trying to escape," the brunet elf said, waving his sword back and forth in front of himself in a display of readiness.

"We don't take too kindly to that," seconded the blond, also twirling his sword.

"Fuck," Feldspar hissed, glancing at Token. Tweek was still hazy, clinging to his back, so there would be no input from him.

"I say we just go with them and do what they want," Token whispered, visibly shaking. "I don't want to mess with elves, okay? Let's just see what they want and go from there."

"Are you fucking crazy?" Feldspar gasped, taking a step backwards. "That's suicide!"

"Feldspar, they're going to outrun us at this rate. It's better just to skip the battle and head right into the interrogation." He glanced over, eyes full of fear. "We're going to meet the king."

The elves were upon them now, pointing their swords. "You're going to silently walk with us to the grand center of the castle, understand?" the blond instructed, staring them down. "The king is waiting there for you. Go quietly, or we won't hesitate to use more force."

Feldspar gulped, nodding his head. He couldn't believe he was going along with this. He could feel Tweek stirring on his back, starting to come to. "Come on Tweeky, can you stand up now?" he asked, trying not to focus on the sharp blades being pointed at him. Tweek slowly slid from his back, taking his hand and squeezing tightly. A silent reply that he was ready.

"Let's go then," Token said, allowing the elves to push them along. They weaved around several hallways, reaching a large set of stairs and climbing them to the top. From there, it was a bit of a longer walk before they reached a huge double door.

"This is the great center ballroom," the brunet told them, walking to the door. "Behave yourselves, trespassers." The doors were pulled open, all three of them gasping in surprise as they entered and took in the sight. The room was gigantic, a large marble floor polished so shiny they could see their reflections staring back up at them. Against the far wall was a giant staircase. On the first platform sat a huge throne, where who they could assume was the king was seated. Two people were kneeling on either side of him. From the platform, the stairs split, hugging the wall and leading up to a huge balcony that circled the room. Upon the balcony were hundreds of elves, a few with their bows loaded and pointing menacingly towards them. The room was still and silent save for the prisoner's boots clicking against the floor as they were ushered forward, right until they reached the bottom of the stairs before the king.

"Kneel," the king commanded, his voice echoing through the room as he rose to his feet. His red robes pooled around him, equally fiery hair nestled beautifully inside of a twig crown. In his left hand was a beautiful staff, which he propped himself against when he stood.

The three slowly dropped down, kneeling before him out of respect.

"Jason…Bradley. Thank you," he said calmly, gesturing to the elves on either side of them. They nodded, stepping away and leaving them be. He spoke again, voice still rather soft. "Jimmy, come here."

Jimmy began to descend the stairs from the right balcony, stopping before the king and bowing. "My k-king?"

"Are these the people?" he held out his hand, waving at the party before him.

"Yes, your h-highness, that is them."

The king looked at them carefully, green eyes squinting as he met each of their own. "Men!" he suddenly shouted, looking up to the balcony. "Lower your weapons. These are guests, not enemies. Behold, the heroes of Zaron!"

The entire room erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. Tweek glanced around the room, heart pounding in his chest. Heroes? What did that mean?

"Your highness…" Feldspar called out, rising up a little from his position, "what do you mean?"

The king let out a laugh, raising his free hand and calling his subjects to silence once more. He slowly sat back down upon his throne, a huge smile across his face. "As you know, this kingdom has been broken for about 10 years since the child I once considered my son betrayed me. Six years later, my closest friend did the same." The king closed his eyes. "At that time, a friend who has long since vanished told me that at this time, exactly 10 years since that fateful day the Stick was stolen, a group of three would begin a quest. That quest was destiny- they would save our land and restore the peace that has been lost."

Token glanced at Tweek, who in turn looked at Feldspar. "U-us?" the cleric stuttered, looking bewildered.

"You," the king echoed, the warm smile still spread across his face. "I knew that this day was coming soon, so I entrusted the strongest bard in all the land to leap over the wall and bring you here. That bard is your companion, Jimmy." He gestured to him.

"S-sorry if I frightened you," the bard apologized, rubbing at his neck. "I was just carrying out o-orders. I knew if I t-t-told you what was going on, you might n-not trust me and would have l-left me. I would have n…ne…never gotten you here."

"Jimmy was able to tell at just a glance that you three were the heroes that I had been told about all those years ago. He cast a spell to keep you hidden from prying eyes, then escorted you to my kingdom so I could speak to you." The king waved his hand for them to rise. "Now, here you are, and I will be able to tell you the solution to this whole problem. First though, I think there should be a celebration."

"Celebration?" Tweek muttered, looking around himself. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you know, barbarian? Elves throw the best parties." The king gestured to the two men at his sides, and they stood quietly beside him. "Stan and Chris will show you to the rooms we have prepared for guests. Tonight there will be a grand ball in your honor."

The room erupted again, the cheers and shouts even louder.

Tweek grinned, looking around. "Craig," he whispered, nudging Feldspar, "isn't this amazing? They're cheering for _us_. We're heroes, did you hear that?"

Feldspar bit his lip, looking around. "I don't know…" he sighed. "Something tells me this is a bad idea."

"Oh, lighten up," Token said, looking around. "This is the best thing to happen this whole trip. Let's enjoy it while we have the chance."

"Yeah," Tweek laughed. The two men were approaching them, smiling and waving for them to follow.

Feldspar reluctantly followed, a worried expression still on his face. "I just get the feeling that this isn't right."


	12. Chapter 12

"Your highness! Sir, Dark Lord, sir!" The drow elf stumbled into the throne room, apologizing profusely for interrupting. "I have very important news, my king!"

The young man stood from his chair. "Please, tell me it's what I think it is," he gasped, stepping forward with his arms outstretched.

"Yes, yes, I finally was able to see them!" Mike cried, kneeling down. "I found Feldspar, the spell has been lifted over him."

"What do you see?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and shaking his hands, clearly in a hurry.

"Feldspar is…In the elven kingdom."

"The elves? THE ELVES? WHAT IS HE DOING WITH ELVES?" The Dark Lord began to throw another tantrum, but calmed himself. "What is he doing?"

"He was with your father-"

"Do NOT call him that. The High Elf is not my father, even if he claims to be. He may have raised me, but he is not my family." Clyde pointed at the drow with a menacing glare. "You understand?"

"Yes s-sir…" Mike shook his head, continuing. "He is with the _High Elf_ , sir. The barbarian king and a cleric are with him. Seems like he was brought there for some reason. The elves must have something planned. This goes far beyond what we once thought."

The Dark Lord thought for a moment, then nodded. "Gather my army. This has gone far enough. Feldspar is a double traitor and I want him dead, and I want the High Elf dead, I want them _all_ dead. All of them. Kill them. Kill them NOW!"

* * *

Feldspar stood in the center of the giant room, turning in slow circles and trying to take it all in. The king had given them each their own room in the castle. A fresh change of clothes as well as new supplies to replace the ones they had lost laid neatly on a bed, while a giant window covered the opposite. Feldspar ran over to it, looking out. Jimmy hadn't lied- the king's castle was in an impossibly large tree, and from up here, he could practically see the entirety of the elven kingdom.

"Wow," he breathed, scanning the area. "This is beautiful…"

"Indeed," a voice called from the doorway. Feldspar turned to find the blond elf from earlier, who had been beside the king. He silently looked him over. If he remembered correctly, the king had said his name was Chris. "Our kingdom may not be as modern as the human's, but we do have quite a view."

He smiled, looking back out the window. "Is Tweek doing alright? And Token?"

"Both of them are in their own rooms, getting ready," Chris told him. "Your lover- er, I don't mean to assume…"

"No, no, he is." Feldspar blushed. "What about him?"

"He asked about you too. I told him I'd check on you."

Feldspar nodded, looking back to the clothing laid against the bed. He hadn't put it on yet- he almost worried about touching it, with how beautifully made it was. "The king is…really generous for letting us stay here, and giving us all this stuff."

"Well, you're one of the fortold heroes," Chris said, closing the door behind him and sitting down on the edge of the large bed.

Feldspar gave a weak smile, sighing and flopping against the bed. "Hero is a…a big title. I don't think I deserve something like that, I haven't even done anything."

"Ah, not yet Feldspar, but you will soon." Chris let out a laugh. "I'd kill to be in your place right now. Being showered with love and attention, hailed as important, getting to meet with the king…"

"A-aren't you the king's soldier?" he asked, looking up from where he was laying. "Don't you get to talk with him?"

"Oh, I do, I do lots." Chris laid down slowly against the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "It's just that he thinks of you so highly. I just protect him…he doesn't see me the same way I see him."

"And how's that?"

"I have a secret," he whispered, narrowing his eyes. "If the king had not sworn off love…I'd try to court him."

"Aww," Feldspar teased, nudging him with a fingertip. "You got a crush on the king?"

"How could I not?" he laughed, clasping his hands against his chest. "He's gorgeous and kind-hearted and a magnificent leader…I worked hard to become so close to him. I'd die for him, if I had to. It's a hard way to live, but I'd live a thousand lives like this if it means that one day he might be mine. I just wish he'd notice it…"

Feldspar gave a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure it'll work out someday, Chris."

"Thanks," he sighed, sitting up and closing is eyes. "One day, maybe." He slowly stood up, bowing his head. "Sorry to have bothered you, you still need to get ready for tonight."

"It's okay, I like getting to know people." Feldspar pulled off his hat, running a hand through his dark hair. "I guess I should get dressed then."

Chris nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Feldspar let out a sigh and sat up, grabbing at the clothes again. Might as well get dressed. He tossed his hat to the floor as well as his cape before stripping down and carefully putting on the things provided for him. As soon as he was done, he turned to look at the large window, eying his reflection.

Feldspar was dressed in a beautiful blue robe, similar to what the king wore. The bottom and sleeves were trimmed with gold, threads sewn in beautiful patterns along his torso. He felt more and more important, the longer he stared at himself. He looked like he belonged in the castle. It was different. Good different.

He moved back to the bed, looking at the pile of clothes on the floor. He stooped down and picked up the accidentally discarded necklace, placing it around his neck. There. Perfect. He didn't want to leave without it. As soon as he was ready, he stepped out of the room, looking around. Stan, the warrior, was standing nearby.

"H-hello," he stuttered, looking down. He suddenly felt shy in the presence of another one of the greats. The warrior would have been the next person on their list if they hadn't gotten captured. Legend told that he had saved the king's life many times, and protected them all by fighting off enemies. He was one of the strongest in the entire elven kingdom, perhaps all of Zaron.

"Hi," he said casually, and Feldspar suddenly relaxed. He didn't seem so menacing in person. "You want me to walk you down to the party, dude?"

Feldspar blinked a few times, processing it before nodding. "Oh…oh yeah, sure. Let's go downstairs."

"Alright," the warrior said calmly, gesturing down the hall. "It's this way. The barbarian is coming soon, he told me he was almost ready. The cleric should already be there."

Feldspar nodded, following quietly. He could already hear the music playing. "Is…Is it a big party?"

"Most the kingdom is here to celebrate you, of course it's a big party." He smiled, turning a little to look at him as they walked.

Feldspar gulped. He didn't like big parties much, he never had. The only reason he had enjoyed the last party was because he was drunk. "O-okay."

"Are you nervous?"

"Nervous?!" he gasped, shaking his head and trying to straighten his back, looking confident. "Nervous, pshhhh. I'm not nervous. I'm a…I'm a hero, haha. I'm super confident and stuff."

"Hmm." Stan said nothing else, having reached the large door to the center room. "Well. Have fun then," he said, opening it and letting him enter. "I'll be there soon."

Feldspar took another small breath, slowly stepping in. As soon as he did, the overwhelming thunder of applause met him. He only relaxed when he saw the familiar faces of Token and Jimmy in the crowd. He ran to them, carefully avoiding the other elves that were gathered in the hall.

"H-hey, you guys having fun?" he asked, joining beside them.

"Oh, yeah, this is great!" Token smiled, looking around. He was dressed in a similar robe to Feldspar, except in purple. "It's almost like a dream! There's music everywhere, and dancing, and food…everyone's so happy here. We're heroes, Feldspar!"

"We haven't _done_ anything," he said for the second time that day.

"We will, that's what the king said."

Jimmy laughed. "W-well, I'm glad you're enjoying the p-p-party. The king was very e-excited for your arrival, that for s-sure."

Feldspar only shook his head. Memories of the hooded character came back to him, the warning still at the back of his mind. "I guess."

Before he could continue, a shrill, excited voice was calling out from somewhere across the room. All three of them looked up to see a small woman with dark hair running top speed towards them. "JIMMY!" she called, a huge grin across her face as the crowd parted to let her through.

"LESLIE!" the bard called back, holding open his arms. She ran right to him, throwing herself against him as he hugged her tightly.

"I came as soon as I got your message," she heaved, clearly out of breath. "I'm so glad you got back safe."

"O-of course I did," he laughed, kissing her cheek when she pulled back. "H-here. Meet my friends. This is T-Token, and this is Feldspar."

Feldspar smiled, holding out his hand. She took it, shaking gently, before doing the same for Token. "I'm glad to meet you both," she said warmly, still smiling. "Jimmy told me all about you in his message. I can't believe I'm meeting the heroes of Zaron!"

"Tweek still isn't here," Token corrected, looking around. "Besides, Jimmy is just as much of a hero as us. He brought us here, and he's been with us every step of the way. I think he deserves his credit."

Leslie took one of Jimmy's hands, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Aww, that's very sweet of you. I already knew that though." She kissed him, making him blush.

"A-aw, now, don't embarrass me, my little b-bird. Are you preforming t-tonight?"

"Yeah," she said. "I should probably get over with the others. I'll see you later, alright?"

They all waved to her as she hurried off again into the crowd. "Jimmy, you're a lucky man. She's very pretty," Feldspar giggled, watching her leave.

Jimmy nudged him playfully, laughing. "I must admit…I am p-pretty lucky."

Before Feldspar could think of another way to tease him, the sound of more applause caught his attention. The heavy door was opening again, and Tweek was coming in. His jaw practically dropped at the sight. The barbarian looked gorgeous with his bright green robes, hair having been cleanly styled out of his face. His crown sat neatly on top, his face paint having been tidied up from their long journey. He had added some more decoration for the occasion.

"Wooooooow," he breathed, watching him step into the room and flash his bright smile. "Token, dude…look at him."

"Wow, barbarian king looks…good!" he whispered back, watching Tweek approach them. "He looks like he really belongs here, dressed like that. I mean, besides the body paint, I'd have probably guessed he was an elf."

"You know, you're kinda right," Feldspar said, furrowing his brow. "He's kinda elfish, don't you think?" He didn't get a chance to finish before Tweek was beside him, spinning in a circle.

"These robes are fun to run around in," he laughed. "Very long and kinda flowy."

"Wow, look who put on a shirt," Feldspar teased, blushing red. "You look really stunning."

Tweek cracked a smile, taking his hands. "So do you."

As he was closer now, Feldspar could see it clearly. With Tweek's hair pulled away from his face, his ears were much more visible. He swore they were a little…

"Are your ears kinda pointed?" he asked suddenly, reaching a hand up to touch one of them.

"O-oh, yeah…" he looked away, still blushing. "I never told you, but my birth mother was half elf. I'm like… a quarter, I think. They aren't that noticeable when my hair is everywhere, but I thought maybe I'd show them off tonight. I just feel like it's safe to do that here."

"An elf barbarian," Token said, widening his eyes. "Well I'll be darned. You're truly one of a kind, Tweek."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden start of lively music. All the elves around them began to move, dancing around in a large circle.

"Hey, Feldspar, you know how to dance?" Tweek gasped, pulling at his hand that he still held.

"I don't da-"

"GREAT!" He grabbed for the other, swinging him promptly into the circle despite his screams. He quickly fell into an awkward step with the barbarian, clinging to him as he was twirled around the room. Tweek laughed loudly the whole time, watching him stumble and try to keep up. "I can't believe you don't have celebrations like this… no wonder you can't dance!"

Feldspar grumbled, but smiled anyway. It didn't really matter, he decided, if he was tripping all over himself. Tweek was close to him, and he liked that. It made the awkward dance worthwhile. "Hey, look there," he said, taking notice of the king at his throne. The two guards, Stan and Chris, had taken his side again.

"What about them?" Tweek asked, twirling him around and watching the elves' movement to copy them the best he could.

"That one, the blond. Chris. Look how he stares at the king." Chris had an adoring expression as he stood beside the throne, a small smile upon his face.

"No, look at Stan." Tweek looked at him too. "He has the same look." Indeed, he was right.

"Do you think…"

"Mmmhmm."

Feldspar laughed. "I can't believe it. They're both in love with him. How cute."

The music stopped and the elves paused their festive dancing to clap. The two did the same. "This is an amazing party," Tweek said, looking around. "I've never seen one this big. Elves really like to have fun, don't they?"

"It would appear so. When this is all over, do you think we're gonna get that mission?"

"Probably. I wonder what the king has in mind." The music started up again, this time slower. Tweek gestured for Feldspar to follow his lead again. "Whatever it is, it's probably exciting. I hope he'll tell us about the Stick if we get it done."

"You're still concerned about the Stick?" Feldspar asked, frowning. "You're awfully set on that."

"I mean…it's why we set out in the first place right?"

"Maybe the king knows how to find it."

"Yeah…" Tweek sighed. He didn't want Feldspar to know that he had lied about the Stick's location. Everything they had done together, the trust they had established, would have been out the window if he did. "I wonder if we'll be the ones to use it."

"Maybe. Do you think we could?"

"Who knows. I guess we'll find out soon." Tweek looked back at the king, who had a strange look on his face while an elf spoke to him. "Craig, hey, look. Is something going on up there?"

"Hmm?" He looked up. "Hey, is…"

The king stood suddenly, shouting to stop the music. He looked frantic as he waved his hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, everyone, please, we must cut the festivities short." He bit his lip as everyone turned to the stairs, confusion on their faces. "We're being attacked from the east. The Dark Lord has declared war on our kingdom!"


	13. Chapter 13

A silence swept the crowd as they stared up at their king. Slowly, whispers began to spread, tiny elven voices growing collectively louder the more they began to buzz.

"War? Did he say war?"

"The Dark Lord?"

Feldspar made eye contact with Tweek, awkwardly moving a step closer together from their position in the formerly-dancing circle. His arms instinctively found their way around the other's waist, a gripping fear making his chest tighten. The Dark Lord knew where he was. It was probably his fault that he was coming this way. "I'm…I'm a traitor," he whispered under his breath, trying to hold himself together. "He's coming to kill me…"

"Craig," Tweek shushed, eyes equally wide as he looked back up at the king. "We…we don't know that."

The High Elf raised his hand, calling for silence to the panicking crowd. "My people, we…" he trailed off, looking between his two guards. "We need to remain calm. I'll figure out what we're going to do, I just…I need some time alone." As he turned to leave, the crowd erupted in chatter again, the confused voices sounding exactly the opposite of calm.

"The king doesn't know what to do!"

"We're done for!"

"He can't just leave like this!"

Feldspar swallowed a lump in his throat, suddenly breaking away from Tweek and running forward. "Your highness, please," he gasped, an arm outstretched. "Please, let me…let us come with you. I think we could help, we're the heroes right?"

The king said nothing, freezing with his back towards them.

"Please, you look like you would benefit from some extra help," he continued.

The king gave a silent nod, waving a hand. "Chris. Stan. Jimmy." He paused, thinking. "…Feldspar, Token, and Tweek. All of you. Come with me."

Feldspar glanced back towards the crowd, meeting Tweek's eyes. He gave him a reassuring nod before climbing the stairs to join him, Token and Jimmy following after. As soon as they were all together, the king climbed the right staircase to the balcony, the silent crowd of elves watching them with expressions almost too chilling to look at. Feldspar averted their gazes.

"They're looking at us," he whispered, finding Tweek's hand and squeezing. "Do you see their faces? They're afraid."

Tweek squeezed back, forcing a smile. "With us in charge, I would be afraid too."

* * *

Ten minutes later, they found themselves in a large room, seated around a circular table. The king sat at the head in a large chair, looking distressed. Once everyone was settled, he raised his head, eyes scanning them all. He made eye contact with each member, moving to bite his lip, seeming to wait for someone to speak. When no one made any move to initiate the conversation, he took a deep breath, unable to stand the silence.

"We are not going to fight them."

The quiet in the room was only emphasized by his sudden remark.

"Your highness, if I may." Tweek raised his hand slowly, an oddly confident expression on his face. Feldspar knew it was an act- he could practically hear the pounding heart beat from the barbarian seated next to him. "That's…impossible. If you want your people to survive, you can't take this lying down. You can't avoid this one."

Kyle shook his head, the odd expression on his face only becoming more obvious. "You don't understand. He's…he's just a child, he doesn't know any better…"

"The Dark Lord isn't a child anymore," Feldspar whispered, braving the eye contact and meeting eyes with the king. He had been awkwardly staring at the table the entire time until that point. He squinted at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He almost looked sad. "Your highness, you haven't seen him for ten years. He's twenty-two now. He's not a naive child making foolish decisions. He knows what he's doing, and he's coming for blood."

The king nodded slowly, and Feldspar could suddenly read the expression he hadn't been able to understand moments ago. The king was in pain, almost mourning.

"He's not the boy you knew."

The king nodded silently again, closing his eyes. "I…I know. I tried to deny it for so long." He opened his eyes slowly. Feldspar recognized the gleam he had seen on Jimmy's multiple times. "He's like a son to me, you know? We raised him, the wizard and I. We found him all alone, and we took him in. We had such high hopes for him. I didn't want to seek him, I thought maybe he'd come to his senses and come home eventually. But now…" he trailed off, eyes closing again. "I was a fool. Instead of fixing this mess, I tried to avoid it. I've lost my child, I've lost the trust of my once closest friend…I've lost my kingdom."

The room remained silent, most its member's heads lowered.

"I looked at him with my vision," the king said finally. "It's the first time I've seen him it since he's left. He really is all grown up now, isn't he?"

Feldspar nodded.

"He's making his way towards the bordering wall on horseback. Our best bet is to meet him there and stop him before he moves too deep into the kingdom."

"Does this mean we're fighting, sir?" Chris said, speaking for the first time during their meeting.

"I'm afraid so." The king gestured to Feldspar. "I see where I have been wrong for all these years. I tried to play it safe; I tried to be a good guy and keep peace. There is no such thing as a good war. We need to fight back or we will die."

"Do we know his motive?" asked Token, looking worried. "It wouldn't make sense for him to attack out of nowhere since he's been silent for so long. Something must have triggered it, right?"

"T-Thief?" came Jimmy's voice, a smirk upon his face. "Care to e-elaborate? I think you know w-why."

Feldspar gulped, the king nodding for him to continue.

"Tweek was the only one who knew," he started, taking a deep breath. "I come from The Dark Lord. He sent me on a mission, but I kind of…didn't do it. So now I think he wants to murder me." He bit his lip, grimacing. "Sorry…"

"Mission?" Kyle sat up, looking confused. "I knew nothing of this. Jimmy? Did you know?"

"I deemed it b-best if he told you hi…hi…himself," Jimmy shrugged, feigning innocence.

"The Dark Lord sent me to get the Stick back from _him_ ," Feldspar explained, pointing at Tweek. "But he didn't have it, so I couldn't bring it back. Then we got wrapped up in looking for it, then Jimmy brought us here… Don't you have a mission for us?"

"There's no time for that right now, it's going to have to wait. Dammit, this just adds a whole other layer to this mess," Kyle hissed, resting his hand against his cheek.

"There's no time to think about it now," Stan told him, leaning over from his seat next to the king and sympathetically patting his shoulder, eliciting a small smile from him. Feldspar caught the glare of Chris as he jealously huffed.

"He's right," Tweek continued. "We need to get to the wall and defend, like the king said. Your highness, we are the heroes, right? Let us help fight him off, and then we can continue with whatever you had planned."

"That's a good plan, barbarian," the High Elf said, nodding. "We will revisit the mission when this fight is won. I'll provide you each one of our horses and our best weapons, as well as anything else you may need. Our goal is to drive him back- keep casualties to a minimum, if possible."

The group all nodded.

"We will leave at dawn. I will announce the plan to those still waiting in the ballroom, and organize soldiers. You're dismissed."

Everyone made their way up from their chairs, exiting the meeting room.

"Hey, Craig," Tweek called quietly, catching up with him and catching his arm. "You did good back there."

"Thanks," he sighed, giving a small smile. "I'm just worried about what will happen from here. We'll drive him out, sure, but what then? He's not going to be satisfied with that. He wants me dead, and the Stick is still missing…"

"Yeah. Missing." Tweek rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, looking to the floor. "Listen. I'm sure it'll be fine. For now, all we can do is help the elven army and move on to the next task. We're gonna save the kingdom right?" he gave him a small nudge, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Yeah," he sighed again, walking down the hallway with the barbarian still on his arm. Somewhere below them, he could hear the king's voice calling out to his people. He reached the room he had been given, freezing at the doorway. They only had about five or six hours until dawn, and he knew it would be best to sleep. "Tweek?"

"Yeah?"

He turned, gently taking the other's chin in his hand and kissing his lips, pulling away with a red blush. "Sorry. Last time we did that, we kinda got cut off. I just wanted to…you know."

"I understand," he whispered, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. You gonna get some sleep?"

"Yeah…" he let Tweek move away from him before reaching for the doorknob. "Tweek? Can you stay with me? I mean…we've slept together for like, three days. Wanna make it four?"

Tweek smiled, grabbing for his hand. "Sure. Why not?"

* * *

Four hours later, Feldspar slowly blinked awake to the sound of a knock on his door. He yawned, curling closer into something warm wrapped around him. It took a few moments to realize that the warm thing was in fact the barbarian's chest. He had almost forgotten that he was there. He slowly wiggled out from being wrapped in his arms, sliding off the bed. His hair was a mess, and he had discarded his robes for his plain undershirt and shorts the night before. It was probably best he threw something on before answering the door. He grabbed for the robe, pulling it lazily over his head before stumbling to the door, rubbing his eyes. He opened it to find Chris, already clad in armor.

"Sorry to wake you," he said with a small nod, tilting his head to peer into the room. "Ah. I see. The barbarian is with you."

Feldspar blushed. "Nn…yeah."

Chris raised his eyebrows. "Ah. I see. Explains the way you look…I don't mean to imply anything, but-"

"WE'LL BE OUT SOON OKAY BYE," he gasped, slamming the door and throwing a hand against his neck, embarrassed.

Tweek sat up slowly, hair a wild poof, paint smeared on his face. "Ehhh…Did I miss something?"

"Nothing at all. Let's just…go get ready." Feldspar blushed, pressing a hand to his warm cheek.

The two dressed quickly into their old clothing, discarding their robes from the night before. Tweek touched up his paint in his own room before they met again outside their doors.

"You ready to go?" Tweek asked, taking his hands.

"Not really," he said nervously. "I'm just a thief, I never really… you know. Fought anyone like this before."

"You'll do fine," he assured him, staring deep into his eyes. "I believe in you."

"Thanks… Um. I have something special for you." Feldspar bent down a bit, kissing him again.

"What was that for? You gave me plenty before bed last night, I don't think that's really anything new."

Feldspar blushed again, pouting. "Listen, I don't know if we'll make it through this, so that was a last kiss, just in case."

"That's not going to be the last," Tweek corrected, kissing him again.

"Will that?"

"Nope. We're going to be just fine, Craig. I know that. I won't let you escape me that easily."

The two laughed, taking hands again before heading off to get ready.


	14. Chapter 14

"Your h-highness?" The Paladin pushed open the heavy door for what felt like the hundredth time that week. In his hand he clutched a piece of paper, hastily written and sent by carrier raven.

"Hmm?"

"It would appear, sir, there's some news from the wall…" He held out the letter to the wizard, eyes wide. "It's soundin' like there's some fightin' out there, between the other two kingdoms…"

The king raised an eyebrow, grabbing the letter and reading it over out loud. "My king… The traitors and the elf made it over the wall before I could catch them. However, there is possibly good news. From my position at the south-east wall, I can see the Dark Lord advancing his army on the elven kingdom. I do not know if he intends to invade our side as well, but it would look like they will be busy with war for a while. Scott." He lowered the letter, laughing.

"G-Grand Wizard?"

He dropped the letter to the ground, a huge smile spreading across his face. "Butters, do you know what this means?"

"N-no, sir, I do not…" The paladin shook his head, confused. "What exactly does it mean?"

"Those two will be too busy fighting to know what's going on over here. Remember how I said I had something planned for those barbarians?"

He gulped. "Y-yeah…but…"

"I think it's the perfect time to strike."

* * *

Felspar felt lost among the crowd of elves hurrying around him. Outside of the large tree, several horses and carts full of supplies were being organized before they departed at sunrise. Tweek was still with him, holding his hand, thumb reassuringly stroking patterns along the back of it.

"Oh, there you two are," came the voice of the king, making his way through the crowd on horseback. In his hand was the lead of another horse, being pulled beside his. He halted them both, a friendly smile on his face. "Here, she's yours."

Feldspar let out a gasp, letting go of the barbarian's hand to slap both to his cheeks. "Holy shit," he mumbled, stepping forward and looking excitedly at the horse. It was as if he was a small child seeing one for the first time. "She's beautiful… What's her name?"

"We don't really name the horses," the king said, shrugging.

"I'mma call her Stripe," he whispered, reaching up and taking the reins in his hand. He gently pulled the horse forward, reaching up and petting her head. "She's so beautiful, thank you."

"You both will be positioned near the front of the army with me, so you'll need a fast horse. She's one of our best." The king patted the head of his own. "I'll be over with Chris and Stan if you need me. We'll be heading out shortly." He rode back into the crowd.

"Well, go on, get on her," Tweek said after he was gone, gesturing to the horse. "You seem eager enough."

"Ehhh…I c-can't," Feldspar said softly, still petting the horse as he turned back to Tweek.

"Why not?"

"I've never ridden a horse before…"

Tweek burst out laughing, walking closer. "Well, good thing I'm here. We use them to pull the carts in the village…It's not too hard. Let me help." He took Feldspar's hand, walking around to the side and hoisting himself up before helping the other. They sat with Feldspar at the front, Tweek straddling him and reaching around him, holding him in place. "Cozy," he teased, causing the other to blush.

"Alright, don't get too comfortable," he snapped back, but his voice was still too soft for it to be a threat. "This is war and stuff… We need to pay attention."

"Craig, you know nothing about fighting, trust me. If anyone's going to talk about how war is, it's me." Tweek tugged on the reigns, guiding the horse to veer left and trot into the middle of the crowd. Elves were all around them, also on horses, weapons on their back. He scanned around until he spotted Jimmy on his own horse. "There's a familiar face…"

"Hey, you t-two," he called out to them, waving them closer.

Tweek brought their horse beside him. "Hey, are you in the same group as us?"

"N-nah. I'll be riding ahead to s-scout. We've got a pretty g-great set up. There are some e-elves already up in the trees near the w-wall, they left a f-few hours ago. They'll communicate by si…signals, so we can figure out w-where the Dark Lord is at any moment. My Leslie is already o-out there."

"Is she a signal?"

"Yeah. My little b-bird is great at calls. She's the leader, a-actually." Jimmy smiled proudly. "As soon as they get close to c-crossing the border, she'll s-signal us and pass it along the l-line until it get's here. It travels q-quick, we should get it within 10 mi…mi…minutes."

Feldspar nodded. "Sounds good. How many are with you?"

"About 10. The o-only one's you'll know are Jason and Bradley, y-you know, the two from the prison."

"And Token?"

"He decided to s-stay with the medics. Said he felt most c-comfortable healing."

He nodded, suddenly hearing the sound of the king yelling for order.

"I better get g-going to my group- we're riding a bit in front of the k-king. Good luck, heroes. Don't f-fucking die, got it?"

They let out an uneasy laugh, Tweek grimacing a little. "Yeah…right." They watched him ride off before moving closer to the king so they could see better.

He sat on his horse, Chris and Stan on either side of him as usual. "My people… We are awaiting the signal from the wall. As soon as we hear word that the Dark Lord is close, we will advance, with the scouts moving ahead to communicate with the signals and find out his location. As soon as we get the all clear, we will confront them. Drive them back, avoid harming them if possible. Head to your groups!"

The elves shuffled around, Tweek guiding his and Feldspar's horse over to where the king was.

"Our mission is to protect the king…and you," Chris said as soon as they were within earshot. "If Feldspar is correct, the Dark Lord is after _him_ , and we don't need either of the heroes to end up dead over a silly battle…If you ask me, you shouldn't even be going on this, let alone be in the front, that's just a bad thing waiting to-"

"Chris," said Stan sharply, raising an eyebrow. "Now is not the time to be criticizing the king's plan. I'd expect better from you."

"Fuck off," he muttered, before continuing his conversation with the other two. "Anyway, like I said, we've got your backs."

"Yeah," Stan seconded, still glaring at Chris. "I'll protect you both."

"I'll protect them AND the king."

"Stop trying to one-up me!"

The two stared angrily for a few more minutes until Tweek broke the silence. "…I'm sure you guy's will do…uh…great!"

Their tension wavered enough to break, each of them turning and heading back over to the king's side.

"They really don't like each other, do they?" Feldspar asked, looking over his shoulder at Tweek.

"Yeah, would appear so." He moved their horse forward a bit more, listening carefully. "You hear that?"

"Hmm?"

The sound grew louder, echoing through the forest until it was loud enough to hear. The signals.

"That's our sign, everyone move out!" the king cried, pointing towards the forest. The scouts took the lead with him right behind, his guards on either side. Tweek hurried their horse to follow closely, the army behind them.

As they rode along, Feldspar looked up, taking notice of the elves he could barely see, hiding in the trees. Another wave of bird-like calls came rushing towards the group, echoing all around.

"They're c-close," Jimmy called from just ahead, his group riding alongside him. He let out a signal back, listening to it echo. They waited, listening, but nothing returned. For the first time, Feldspar saw the fear on his normally calm face. "We're going to speed up and c-check it out, we'll meet you t-there!"

The king called back his approval, watching them disappear from sight. "Slow down, wait for his all clear," he commanded, everyone coming to a halt. Silence spread across the army as they waited, listening.

"Tweek?" Feldspar whispered, too afraid to speak up any louder.

"Hmm?"

"Are…are you sure we can do this? I mean, it's not too late to just…turn around…go back…"

"Feldspar, you literally came into my village with the intention of killing me to please the very person we're up against. You have no reason to be scared." Tweek sounded harsh, but when he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the back of Feldspar's head, the thief knew he wasn't trying to be mean. "Come on, don't be like that," he said a little softer. "It'll be fine. I'm here with you, okay? I promise, I'll keep you safe."

"Yeah," he said back, still looking around and listening. After about ten minutes, everyone began to become restless. This was…weird. Wasn't Jimmy supposed to give an all clear?

"Your highness," came Stan's voice, worried. "Should we…"

"Mm." The king waved his hand, a silent call for everyone to follow.

The thief's heart stopped for a moment, scared at the implications. "He couldn't p-possibly have-"

"Shh," Tweek told him. "Jimmy's strong, right? He's fine."

They moved along slowly as a group, the king letting out a signal into the woods. It barely traveled, falling silent only a little down the way. "Shit," he whispered, speeding up. "Chris, Stan, stay close, something's wrong…"

Tweek stayed close behind, trying to keep up. The forest was eerily quiet now, none of the familiar rustling from the above signals being heard. What the hell was going on? Before he had any time to process his thoughts, the king had halted before him, blocking his path. He quickly pulled the horse to a stop, looking beyond him to see-

"Oh my god," he whispered, overlooking the sea of littered elven bodies. They hung from the branches of the trees, some haven fallen to the ground. Others looked like they had been killed while on foot, having descended in hope to hold off the attackers.

The king let out a shudder, trying his best to hold it together. "Search for survivors, figure out where the damn army went so we can catch them before anyone else dies! I'm…" he trailed off, looking around, seeming panicked.

"Craig," Tweek said softly, looking over the area. He had seen plenty of blood in his lifetime, but it still unsettled him. "If you're still freaked out… I'd lower your head."

He didn't need to ask twice- Feldspar dropped his, eyes squeezed closed, seeming to be trembling against the barbarian behind him.

Tweek led the horse forward, looking around. There were no survivors over here, for sure. Nothing was moving in the sea of red before him. His chest ached at the sight- unlike his warriors, who were trained to be quick and careful, the Dark Lord's army was inexperienced- far from his standards. Lives had been messily and mercilessly taken here, and most seemed to have died from bleeding out rather than the actual blow. He shook his head, feeling disgusted. The innocent elves had died in such a painful way…

He froze, picking up a sound nearby. "Hey, don't open your eyes," he said, unsure of what they might encounter. If someone was badly injured and calling for help, it might be gruesome. He moved in the direction it came from, listening carefully again. It sounded more and more like the sound of muffled crying. "Hello?" he yelled, hoping they would hear.

There wasn't a response, just more quiet sounds. He followed them until a figure came into sight, huddled by one of the large trees, horse nowhere to be seen.

"Jimmy!" he gasped, riding closer and leaping from the horse. Feldspar stayed on top, hunched over, eyes covered. "Jimmy, are you-"

It took him a moment to realize what was going on. In the elf's arms was a body, held close to his chest. It was hard to see with how disfigured it was, as the face had been bashed, but as soon as he saw the long dark hair, he knew. "Oh god…"

Jimmy let out another sob, not looking up, clutching her closer to his chest. "I c-c-came this w-way… with t-the g-group…" His stutter was worse than normal. "W-we w-walked right into t-the army, t-they t-took all the scouts off g-guard…"

"Where's the others?" he asked, a hand resting against his shoulder, trying to show sympathy.

"T-they s-s-started to fire at u…us…" he whispered, finally raising his head. "I m-managed to f-flee this way, but t-the others…t-they… Their m-magic was so s-strong…" he slowly raised a shaky hand, pointing the other direction.

Tweek slowly turned that way, making out the sight of bodies in the distance. "I'm…I'm so sorry," he said, unable to figure out anything else to tell him. "Are you…"

"T-the only s-survivor…" Jimmy looked back down at the girl in his arms, forcing a smile. "I f-found her over h-here…"

Tweek nodded, biting his lip. It was hard to look. She was so full of life the night before, and now…

The sound of horses coming their direction made him turn again, seeing the medical carts heading towards them. "Medics are here, collecting bodies," he said, squeezing his shoulder. "They'll get her…they'll get her home safe."

Jimmy nodded, his tearstained cheeks still flushed red, a large gash still bleeding on his right side. "Be free, m-my little b-bird," he whispered, planting a final kiss on her forehead before laying her back down against the dirt.

"Hey," the familiar voice called. Token approached them, looking worried. "The king said that they found the Dark Lord, he's heading towards the castle. You guys need to get out there, they've lost most the tree scouts and the army is only so big…"

"Right." Tweek looked up at Feldspar, who was still hunched over. Jimmy stood, as if he was going with them, but Token placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Stay here, you're wounded," he said gently. "You've been through enough fighting for one day."

The bard nodded slowly, sitting back down in the dirt beside what used to be his sweetheart. "I'll…I'll be f-fine. You t-two go on ahead."

Tweek nodded, climbing back on the horse and riding off as quick as he could. "Okay, you can open your eyes…" There seemed to be no bodies in this area- the medical team had already swept it.

Feldspar sat up, opening them and looking around. "I heard what happened…"

"Yeah." Tweek didn't say much. He knew if he blocked his emotions, he would be fine. It was all he had ever known to do, in times like this.

"Is she…?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

He fell silent again, staring ahead. The army was in view again, the Dark Lord only a bit further than that.

"Looks like we outnumber them, but not by much," Tweek commented, assessing the numbers at their distance. Feldspar said nothing as they pushed past the other soldiers, joining the king's side again.

"Be prepared to fight," he said softly as they approached, looking between his guards. "We don't know what they have in store…Just don't kill him," he added, that strange look still in his eyes. They all knew who 'he' was without it being said.

The king raised his hand, the army at the ready. As soon as he felt ready, he let out a deep breath, throwing it forward. The elven soldiers stormed in, meeting the Dark Lord's, clashing immediately.

Tweek stood the horse still, watching it unfold before him.

"What are you doing?" Feldspar asked, turning to him. "Come on, they're fighting, go!"

"I…I said I would protect you," he said softly, "I can't if we-"

"Our _job_ is to help the king-"

"Craig, I won't-"

Feldspar quickly leaned down, grabbing the knife out of his boot and leaping from the horse, dashing into the mess.

"CRAIG!" the barbarian king screamed, scrambling for the reins and pushing into the bloodshed. His free hand grasped his bow, loading it quickly and making shots into the mess when necessary, eyes scanning for the thief. His façade was cracking, heart racing rapidly. He found himself twitching, biting his lip, letting out little cries…

"BRING ME THE THIEF!" called a voice in the mess, who he could only assume was the Dark Lord. His anxiety only increased. He had to get to him first, Feldspar didn't have a _clue_ what he was doing, he would be done for!

The king was suddenly beside him, Chris and Stan following close. "Where's-"

"He ran off, he's trying to be a fucking hero and he's a… ngh…" he twitched, but quickly calmed himself. "He's somewhere in there and we need to find him NOW!" He quickly scanned the crowd again, eyes settling on a familiar hat. "THERE!"

Feldspar was scrambling between the fighting, looking terrified for his life. Whatever he was doing was a stupid choice, and he was going to get killed over it at this rate. Time seemed to stand still as Tweek watched what was unfolding, unable to move from his place.

The Dark Lord had taken notice from his horse, spotting Feldspar in the crowd. He leapt down, a large sword in his hand, making his way closer, tracking his movements.

The barbarian's hand twitched, instincts kicking in. He reached for an arrow, setting it on his bow, taking aim.

"Tweek, what are you-" The king's eyes widened, realizing what was happening.

Feldspar was lost, looking around the people screaming on either side of him. He should have stayed with Tweek, he should have-

Out of nowhere, something struck him, knocking him down. He hit the dirt, knife flying from his hand off into the crowd. His arm was bleeding heavily, but he had no time to think about the pain. As he looked up, he recognized the familiar shadow looming over him, weapon raised.

Tweek prepared to fire when a force suddenly hit him, throwing off his aim. His arrow never missed, but with the distraction, it flew off course. He tumbled to the ground, the High Elf on top of him, hands around his throat.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO KILL HIM, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Feldspar screamed as the arrow sunk into the Dark Lord's shoulder, making him stumble back.

"RETREAT! RETREAT!" the child king cried, running the other direction.

Feldspar struggled to move, falling back against the ground. Everything blurred and mixed together until it all went dark again.


	15. Chapter 15

Darkness.

He couldn't hear or see anything- it was as if he was standing in a void. He was frozen still, limbs numb, a weightless entity…

 _Don't be afraid._

He felt his breath catch, chest tightening at the sudden voice. It was hard not to be scared when whoever, or whatever, had just interrupted his silence. The voice was so near, but so quiet, a familiar whisper… He slowly let out the breath.

 _Good._

The darkness almost seemed to shift- he felt as though his body was turning sideways, floating in his frozen state. His eyes closed, trying to calm himself again.

 _I can't keep this up forever, though it does help that you're asleep._

Keep what? Who?

 _Please remember what I told you-_

New voices swirled around him in a hazy, dream-like way. At first they were hard to hear, but as he found himself regaining the ability to focus, they became clearer. Someone to his right, and another to his left, were whispering back and forth. Their words were too soft to hear, until he recognized his name.

"…Feldspar…"

He found the ability to flutter his eyelids, and the dream was gone.

"Shit, he's awake," the voice said again, a familiar shape moving over him and resting what he could guess was a hand against his shoulder. "Feldspar, hey…"

Feldspar opened his eyes fully, vision slowly focusing on the figure leaning over him.

"Token?" he whispered, struggling to find his voice. He felt a weird numbness in his left arm, centralized near his shoulder. His first instinct was to move the arm a little and get some blood flowing, but as soon as he shifted, he let out a hiss, sudden pain shooting through his body.

"Hey, hey," the cleric told him again, hand now against his chest, coaxing him still again. "It's not gonna heal if you keep moving."

His vision had finally adjusted, giving him a better idea of his surroundings. The first thing he realized was that it was cold- someone had taken his shirt off. Other than the blanket on top of him, their location didn't offer much warmth- the bed he was in was soft, at least. Jimmy was on his right, Token on his left, and… oh. His vision settled on his left arm, his bare skin revealing a long, nasty cut running from his shoulder down his arm and across part of his side.

He instantly began to panic.

"Wait, wait _, Feldspar_ , come on," Token said again, seeming a little more annoyed this time. "Don't freak out, it'll make it worse, okay? We're waiting for some more healing stuff to come in."

He tried to remember why he was even injured in the first place, but it wasn't quite coming to him yet. "Wh…Where's…" he spoke slowly. "I want…"

"T-Tweek isn't h-h-here." Jimmy answered for him, finishing his words. "His Majesty said h-he could only v-visit when you woke up, otherwise…"

Feldspar stared blankly for a moment, trying to understand what he meant. "What happened?"

"Well, when you had your little incident with the Dark Lord, Tweek tried to play hero and went against the king's orders. We won the battle due to a retreat, but as for Tweek…" Token frowned. "He's…kinda in jail right now."

"JAIL?" he gasped, trying to sit up again and crying out in pain. Token didn't even bother to hush him this time, shoving him back down on the bed with a glare that read ' _stay'_.

"He's committed a c-crime, Feldspar," Jimmy continued, voice stern. "T-The king does have plans f-for both of you, but for n-now…He needs to be k-kept away."

"Fuck," he muttered, the vague explanation only confusing him further. "You said he can visit me? Send him here. Send him here now!" He tried his best to stay still, even the smallest movements aggravating his injury.

Jimmy stared at him for a moment before slowly standing and exiting the room.

As soon as he was gone, Feldspar burst into tears.

"Hey." Token's voice softened again, a hand brushing against his cheek. "It's going to be fine, okay? Once you feel better, the king's gonna give the quest to you and Tweek, and everything will be fine."

"Um… what about you? Jimmy?" Feldspar looked at him through blurry eyes, sniffling.

"My choice is to stay here and help heal the injured." He gave a small smile, trying to ease the mood. "Jimmy has some...things to attend to."

Feldspar did his best to nod, expression falling as memories flooded back. The sounds of crying, the smell of blood…Tweek's voice telling him that Leslie was gone…

Token moved away, sitting up when the door clicked open. The familiar face of the barbarian came into the room, his wrists chained together. He didn't look too happy as Stan stood behind him, escorting him with a sword in his hands. Jimmy followed close behind.

"Craig," Tweek cried out, running forward and dropping to his knees by the bed. He made a move to hug him, but stopped when he remembered his arms weren't exactly available. Feldspar wished he could move and at least do the hugging instead. The blond looked anxious. "Are you-"

"Okay? Yeah." He felt breathless, unsure if the next question was going to be a safe one with Stan standing over both of them. "What…what did you do?"

Tweek grimaced, eyes flashing dangerously. "I tried to save your life and the king tried to murder me-"

"Hold your tongue, barbarian," Stan hissed, pointing his sword a little closer to his back.

"Easy," Jimmy warned, shooting a harsh glance at the warrior.

Tweek didn't even flinch, instead directing his gaze up at Stan. "Let my hands go."

"No, I can't, the king said-"

"Unlock my damn hands, what, you think I'm gonna kick your ass? I could do that without them, thank you very much," he spat, holding up his wrists. "I know if you saw your precious king injured like this, you'd want to be able to hold him too, hmm? Unlock me. Now."

Stan glanced at Jimmy, who just nodded. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled a key from his pocket, unlatching the restraints. As soon as his arms were free, they were around the thief, holding tightly. Feldspar closed his eyes, unable to do much else.

"What now?" the thief asked quietly.

"We wait for directions from the king," Stan said calmly, still glaring at Tweek, twirling the discarded handcuffs between his fingers. "Likely when Feldspar is rested, he'll resume the original plans."

"Which are?"

"Classified."

Tweek snorted. "Of course." He pressed closer to Feldspar, careful to avoid his injured arm. The more time they spent together, the more he felt attached to the thief. He knew that they both loved each other, yes, but did that mean they were a couple? He wasn't sure.

A knock at the door broke the silence, causing everyone in the room to look up. Chris had entered, looking frazzled.

"Urgent news from the king. He needs to see the barbarian and thief immediately," he said hurriedly, gesturing for them to quickly follow.

"Feldspar can't move yet," Token corrected, taking a step closer to the bed. "He's badly injured, we can't-"

"Throw some magic on him and numb it for a bit, there's a serious problem and he needs to be present now," the guard stressed. "There's trouble in the human kingdom, bad trouble, and if we don't deal with this immediately it could mean the end of Zaron for sure. Now _please_ , hurry!"

Tweek backed up from his position leaning over Feldspar, watching as Token rushed out of the room and past Chris to go and get what he was requested.

"What happened?" Stan whispered, turning and grabbing Chris by the shoulder and directing him out the door to talk. It slammed behind them, leaving the room empty other than Tweek, Feldspar, and Jimmy.

The barbarian slowly turned, looking up at the bard. "Jimmy…what's going on?"

He shrugged. "B-beats me. If my guesses are c-correct though….It's n-not good."

Token came back in, a small bottle in his fist. "Here," he said, uncapping it and holding it to Feldspar's lips. "Drink this, it should offer a temporary solution…" Feldspar gulped it down quickly, finding some of the feeling in his arm to return.

"You good?" Tweek asked, brushing a hand against his cheek.

"Yeah, 'm fine," he mumbled, slowly sitting up and rubbing at the scarred skin. His shirt lay on a stool next to the bed, which he grabbed and quickly threw onto himself. "We should go."

Tweek nodded, helping him out of the bed as Chris entered the room again. Without another word, the three of them started down the hallway outside of the hospital room, climbing the stairs up and up and up until they reached the main castle. They followed along the path they had gone a few days before, entering the circular meeting room to find a very distressed king pacing the floors.

"Finally," he said, quickly seating himself when they arrived. He gestured for them to do the same. Once they were ready to continue, the king began to explain. "We have a serious problem in the human kingdom. It looks like someone," he glared at Tweek, "may not have only gone against my orders, but has been hiding something from all of us."

The barbarian's already pale face went white, looking frightened. "I-I-I…hmm…" he stuttered, hands shaking as he pressed them against the table.

"The Grand Wizard has apparently raided the camp of the barbarians and found the damn Stick being hidden there," he continued, fire in his eyes. "We now have the threat of him using the Stick for his own personal gain, which I'm certain he will."

Feldspar said nothing, staring with a blank face at the wood of the table.

"The Stick is broken," Tweek hissed, suddenly becoming angry at the accusations that it was his fault. "It didn't work when I tried to use it, which is why I came here in the first place!" He slammed his fist against the table, pushing up from his chair. "I want answers!"

"The Stick probably didn't work for you because you're nothing but a barbarian!" Kyle's voice was rising now, becoming louder to overcome Tweek's. "You are not even a real one, at that. I bet it rejected you as it didn't deem you worthy to wield its powers."

He slowly lowered back into his seat, feeling hurt and defeated. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense; it's the Stick of Truth. It's an entity so powerful that it makes its own rules. Nobody in this entire kingdom truly understands how it works." The king sighed, but the look on his face told Tweek that he was lying. He knew something, but he wasn't saying it.

"Fine. Then what must be done?"

"I hate for it to come to this, but it looks like I will have to go through with my plans after all. I was told many years ago that someone like you would come to this kingdom and save us, though I don't know how. Now, I think I realize what the answer is. The only way to restore peace is to reclaim the kingdom…" he trailed off, a strange look on his face.

"How?" Feldspar spoke for the first time, eyes still downcast.

" I can only resume control if I were to take back that Stick, which is in the possession of the Grand Wizard. The only way he'll let that go is if he's not there to stop me."

Tweek felt his breath catch, freezing in place. "No. No, no, no. You don't mean-"

"Yes. You are going to go into the human kingdom and murder him."

"No." The barbarian shook his head, stunned by Feldspar's silence over the matter. "That's not the answer to this problem. You both used to rule together, side by side, you can't just-"

"Yes, I can." The king did not soften. "The Grand Wizard was never my friend; he was my enemy the whole time. He never cared about the balance between us, he was greedy, and he corrupted the child with the same mindset. If it wasn't for him, Clyde would have never stolen the Stick. If it wasn't for him, our parts of the kingdom would have remained united." His eyes flashed dangerously as he stood in his chair, rising to his full height in a display of dominance. "Let me remind you, you're both technically prisoners here. Regardless if you are the fortold heroes, you are trespassers and _you_ in particular have defied me. If you do not do as I ask, I will have no choice but to execute you like any other human who enters this territory. Do you understand?"

Tweek stared up, feeling his body twitch. No, no, no, this was not the time for his anxious ticks to be coming back. He knew better, he had trained himself to be stronger… He bit his lip, nodding. "I…I understand."

Fledspar gave a silent nod.

"Good. You will head out immediately. We will transport you to the wall, but then no further. You'll climb, you'll enter, you'll get to the castle and you will not come back until I know he is dead." The king stood from the table, looking more agitated than when they first arrived. "Let's go."

"Feldspar is still injured," Tweek interjected, "the magic will wear off soon-"

"We'll allow you to bring more. This quest is more important."

Before Tweek could protest, he left the room.

* * *

The journey to the wall had been a little too quiet. The two proclaimed heroes sat in a cart together, escorted by a few elven warriors as they traveled briskly along the paths. Feldspar refused to speak, staring at his hands and fiddling with his cape the entire ride. When they reached their destination, they both climbed out, looking up at the massive divide. Still not speaking, they began to climb, side by side.

The elves left them, turning back the way they came.

Once on the other side, back within the human kingdom, Feldspar automatically took the lead, walking onward into the forest. It would be harder this time without Jimmy as their guide, but he was convinced he could do it alone. His silence made that clear.

Tweek, on the other hand, knew better.

"You giving me the silent treatment solve nothing," he finally said, daring to start conversation. He took a few jogging steps, moving right beside the thief. "If you want to be a stubborn ass about all this, you can, but I want to know why."

"Why?" The thief stopped walking, giving the barbarian a hard shove in the other direction. He stumbled back, tripping on his own feet and hitting the dirt. "Why? You have the nerve to ask me why I'm upset? After what you've done?" As Tweek looked up and met his eyes, he could just make out the glimmer of tears staining the other's cheeks. "You lied."

"I…" He didn't know what to say. Yes, he had lied, but it was for a good reason, right? "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well you sure as hell did." Feldspar shook his head, trying to hold himself together. "You played me. You only brought me on this stupid quest because you wanted the Stick to yourself. You don't… you don't love me, do you? It was all part of your plan…"

"Please, no-"

"You know what? I take everything I said about you being different than other barbarians. You're just like the rest of them. You're selfish and greedy and all you care about is yourself!"

His breath caught in his throat, causing him to choke. The words felt like he had just been stabbed in the chest. "C-Craig-"

"Don't ever call me that again," he hissed. "You don't deserve to use that name." Feldspar let out a shivering sob, grasping at his neck. The very same necklace that had brought them together was now in his fist, being yanked off, cord snapping. He held it tightly for a moment before throwing it on the ground, right before the barbarian. "You can take this back too. Desire. Hah. What a load of bullshit. I don't need you. I don't need your help on this quest."

"Yes you do," Tweek insisted, feeling the tears coming to his own eyes. He couldn't do this, he couldn't do this, he couldn't-

"Go back to your village, I don't want to see you ever again. I'm doing you a favor. They probably need you right now, after getting attacked by the Wizard, and now the Elf King will have nothing to do with you." Feldspar turned the other way, fishing in his pocket for another healing bottle. He drank it quickly, knowing he would need to be prepared alone. "Goodbye."

Tweek let out another sob, scrambling to his feet. "No, no, you c-can't, nghh, you…" he let out another twitch, then another, his confidence disintegrating with every word. "Don't go, don't… _gahh_ , please, let me help—"

"Thieves work alone."

Feldspar turned and ran the other direction, leaving him with nothing but the broken necklace on the ground. He didn't dare look back, the tears only coming faster now. He hated him. He couldn't believe he had fallen for his tricks, he was so stupid… never trust a barbarian, never, never, never.

After a few miles of nonstop sprinting, he slowed to a walk, drying his eyes on his sleeve. Everything ached, especially his chest… anger still flowed through his veins, forcing him to press on. He had a mission, and he had every intention to fulfill it alone. He would show them, he would show them all-

A sudden sound from somewhere above him made him freeze, glancing around in the trees. His time in the elven kingdom had taught him to be aware of the forest canopy, but there was nobody to be seen. Uneasily he stepped forward, drawing the knife from his boot and holding it tightly in his fist. In a fit of rage, he let out a scream into the woods, entire body shaking. "COME OUT! SHOW YOURSELF! I'LL KILL YOU!"

No answer.

Maybe he was just paranoid. Knife still in hand, he stepped forward. Something felt off. Something was wrong. He froze, feeling as if someone was behind him-

Thunk. He was out like a light before he could find out.


	16. Chapter 16

_**The kingdom of Zaron, Ten Years Ago**_

* * *

"Don't you think he's ready yet?"

The two kings sat together on the balcony of the large castle, overlooking the entire kingdom of Zaron. The high vantage point made it easy for them to see everywhere, from the little farms to the great forest in the south-western third. The early morning brought a quiet, peaceful mood, the sun just barely rising now. Today was a very important day in the kingdom- the child whom they had taken in, Clyde, was turning 12.

"I…" The elf hesitated to answer the question. That was a very difficult topic.

"It's his birthday today. Wouldn't that be a great gift?" The wizard looked out over the kingdom, smiling to himself. "We can finally let him look at the Stick. He's going to inherit it soon enough right? Maybe we could even help him carve his name."

"Eric, no, I really don't think that's a good idea…" Kyle bit his lip anxiously. "As soon as we put his name on it, he has the ability to wield its power. He's just a child, he still has much to learn-"

"Good morning, my lords!" The small child suddenly burst through the door to the balcony, excitedly bouncing by the entrance. "Permission to enter?"

"Don't be so formal, my son," the elf king laughed, holding out his arms. The child ran to him, quickly embracing him in a tight hug. "Happy birthday, Clyde!"

"Happy birthday," the wizard echoed, also holding out his arms. Clyde bounded to him next, also squeezing him.

"We are very proud of your progress this year," Kyle said, watching as the little boy continued to beam. "To think it's been eight years since we first found you…"

"I can't remember anything other than you two," the child admitted. "You're my family now, right?"

"Absolutely." The wizard always seemed much more relaxed and playful when the child was with them. "Now, since it is your birthday-"

Kyle shot him a glance. "Eric-"

"Kyle." He raised an eyebrow, still grinning with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Clyde…how would you like to see something special today?"

"Something special?" The little boy's eyes lit up as he began to bounce again. "Like what?"

"I think you're ready to see the Stick of Truth for the first time."

" _Eric,_ I said no-"

"HOORAY!" Clyde shouted excitedly, running in circles around the balcony.

"Hey, hey, don't do that, you're going to trip," the elf gasped, waving his hands.

"Ey, it's his birthday, leave him be," the wizard scolded playfully, waiting for him to stop. "Go get dressed, and we'll show you."

The little boy gave a quick bow before running back into the castle.

"Moron," Kyle hissed once he was out of earshot, "that was a very stupid decision. I told you, he's still a child, he can't handle the power!"

"I didn't say I was going to put his name on it, I said he could look. No harm, right?" Eric grinned. "Besides, you can't say no now, can you? You'll crush his little heart. It's his birthday; you wouldn't do that, would you?" He made a pouting face, fluttering his eyelashes.

"Fine. But he is only going to look. Deal?"

"Deal."

The two stood from their seats, reentering the castle. They could hear the sound of little feet running up and down the corridors, excited yells echoing through the walls.

"He sure is happy," the elf noted, letting a smile dance across his lips. "I guess a little treat wouldn't hurt. I mean… It _is_ his birthday." He couldn't help but feel his mood rise to think of the child having so much fun. He had been working hard all year, maybe a little reward would be good for him.

"I _told_ you," Eric said, crossing his arms, "it'll give him something to look forward to. There's no harm in any of this, okay?"

The sound of pounding feet was running back in their direction. The boy was now dressed in his best clothes- a red jacket, trimmed with gold. He was the spitting image of a king-to-be.

"Ah, there you are," the elf said, stooping down to his level. "Are you ready to go and look? You need to promise that you will not share what you see with _anyone_ , understand?"

The child nodded vigorously, a serious expression on his face. "I promise I'll be good. I won't tell a soul!"

"Good boy," he said softly, ruffling the hair on his head. "Come now, let's go." He offered a hand to the boy, the Grand Wizard taking the other. The three of them began to walk down the hallway of the castle. It was still early enough so that no servants were wandering. Good. Nobody needed to see where they were going.

With the High Elf in the lead, the small group made their way down a set of stairs to the main castle floor. "Now watch, Clyde. Here's where things get tricky." They walked up to a seemingly simple wall. With a few taps and a wave of his hand, the elf watched as it began to shift and move, opening a passage.

"Woooooah!" Clyde gasped, still holding onto his other hand. He tugged at it, jumping up and down. "Teach me how to do that!"

"Not now, my child," he said gently, "once you get a little bigger, then you will learn. For now, let me do it." He began to lead the way again, entering the newly exposed hallway and watching as the door closed behind them.

"Just down this hallway is another room," the Grand Wizard said, his voice echoing through the empty hall. "Inside of that room is the ancient artifact called the Stick of Truth. You remember what we taught you, don't you, Clyde?"

The boy nodded as they began to walk again. "You told me it's very powerful, and you have to be very smart and brave and good-hearted to use it properly."

"Very good," Kyle said, sounding impressed. "The Wizard has taught you very well. You've been studying hard, haven't you?"

"Yes, I practice every day! I want to be able to be a good king, just like you guys!" He smiled again, seeming hopeful.

"You will be. I know you can do it." The elf stopped at the door at the end of the hallway, looking at it carefully. A few more quick movements and it was open. "Here we go. Behold…The Stick of Truth."

The door swung open slowly to reveal a simple, brick room. In the center was a pedestal, a red pillow trimmed with gold sitting upon it. On that pillow laid a simple branch that looked like it could have come off a tree in the forest.

"Is that it?" the boy asked, confused. "It doesn't look very special."

The elf laughed. "Oh no, my boy, it may not look special on the outside, but I assure you, this is the Stick." He held out his arms, scooping the boy up and lifting him so he could see better, given he was quite small for his age. He brought him close to the pedestal, hovering above it with his massive elven height.

"Woah," Clyde breathed, eyes sparking. "Can I touch it?"

Kyle hesitated, a look of worry coming over his face. "Well… I m-mean,"

"Yes," The wizard interrupted, carefully grabbing the Stick in his hands. "Kyle, put him down, let's let him get a look at it."

"Eric, I told you he could only -"

"He can't do any harm, remember?" The wizard winked.

"Ugh. Fine." Kyle carefully put him down, allowing Eric to deposit the Stick in his chubby hands.

"Clyde, look." The wizard dropped down to his knees so he could be at his eye level. He carefully rotated the Stick in his hands until a small inscription could be seen near the base. "What does that say?"

The boy squinted, bringing it close to his face. "Names!"

"Who's names?"

"Your names?"

"Yes, that's correct." The wizard moved so he could reach around the child, cradling each of his hands as they gripped the artifact. "One day, when you're bigger, we'll help you carve your name, just like ours. You'll be able to protect and guide this kingdom as those before you."

The little boy gazed towards him with a glimmer of wonder in his eyes. "Why not now?"

"…What?" Kyle blinked. "Eric, I was afraid this would happen!"

"He's twelve, why not?!" he demanded, glaring up at the other king. "I say we do it!"

"Absolutely _not_ ," he said firmly, a hint of anger rising in his voice. He reached out, pulling the Stick from the little one's hands and placing it firmly back onto the pedestal. "I told you this was an awful idea!"

"No, it's a fine idea! You're just being too damn paranoid again!" He stood up from where he was sitting with Clyde, looking equally angry.

"You're being stupid! He's not ready!"

The two argued back and forth, raising their voices higher and higher.

"Wait, wait!" Clyde gasped waving his arms. "Stop, I didn't mean to cause trouble…"

The two froze, looking down.

"He's right… we shouldn't argue in front of him." Kyle let out a sigh. "Come along Clyde. I think it's best we go back upstairs." He shot a glance at Eric, taking the boy's hand. "We can continue the celebration as planned."

The rest of the day went smoothly as the castle sprung into its morning routine. It was a happy day for the entire kingdom- their future king was growing up so quickly. Celebrations were popping up all over, the biggest one taking place right in the ballroom of the palace. Through the day, many guests came and went, bearing gifts to the child and participating in the fun and laughter. Once everything settled down that evening, the celebrations ended and everything went back to normal.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Kyle asked once everyone had left.

"The best!" the boy told him, looking a bit tired. He rubbed his eyes, yawning. It had been a long day. It would be best to get him to bed.

The two kings took the child upstairs to his room before parting ways for the night. At one end of the castle was the elf's bedroom, while on the other, closest to Clyde, was the wizard's. The evening faded to night, and the castle was silent as they all slept.

"My lord?"

From the wizard's bedroom doorway came a small peep, the shadow of a child peering into his chamber. He sat up slowly, looking towards the door before realizing it was Clyde.

"Hmm?"

"Can't sleep."

"Ah."

He entered, coming right up to the bed and sitting at the edge. "I can't stop thinking about something," he confessed, hands pressed together as his eyes scanned the dark room. "I usually go to Kyle, but he'd be upset if he knew."

"The Stick?" Eric asked, smirking. "He wasn't happy that we showed you today, he wanted to wait until you were older. He thinks you're a child, someone who can't think or act for themselves. He thinks you'd be unable to resist the power, because you're weak- are you a child, Clyde?"

The boy blinked a few times, taken back by the statement. He could handle himself, he was mature enough! "Of course not! I'm not a baby."

"That's right." The wizard laughed. "I think you'd be perfectly fine to handle the Stick. It would be better for us to guide you to use it while you're still our apprentice than to leave it to you when we aren't here to train you. He's being ridiculous, isn't he?"

Clyde bit his lip. The child knew that the High Elf loved him very much, and had to be doing it to protect him, but at the same time… "I guess so…"

"He is," the wizard repeated. "He's being utterly ridiculous. You're the heir to the throne right? There's no reason for your name not to be on that Stick." He leaned closer. "If you had your name on it, there would be no reason for him to say no."

"You think so?" Clyde asked, the little wheels in his head beginning to turn. "I can't do that though, I don't know how to get into the vault…"

"Touch the third and fifth stones, then wave your hand."

"What?"

The wizard grinned, waving his hand towards the door of his room. "If you want to show him that you're grown up now, go and open the vault. The third and fifth stones are they key for both doors. Go in there with your little knife, carve your name, and it's yours. Then tomorrow we can begin to train you. Got it?"

He nodded quickly. "I'll be back when I'm done," he said quietly, slipping off the bed and running out of the room.

"I'll show Kyle that I'm right," the wizard grumbled before rolling back over and falling asleep.

Clyde did as he was told, hurrying back to his room and grabbing the knife he kept hidden away in a drawer. It had been a present for his birthday the year before when he had turned 11. It was a beautiful blade that fit perfectly in his small hands. He made his way back out, sock feet tiptoeing all the way to the wall that hid the door.

With a few jumps to reach the height of the stones, he smacked the third and fifth before waving his hands. Just as he was promised, the door opened, revealing the hallway. Yes! He was in! He ran at this point, right down the hallway, repeating the process on the heavy door. It swung open.

There it was, sitting pretty on the pillow, right where he had left it. The Stick of Truth.

Clyde jumped a few times to grab at the pillow, yanking it and letting the Stick tumble down to the floor. Luckily, it had not broken. He quickly picked it up, turning it around until he found the tiny carvings of names. Now that he was alone, he noticed that there were many more than just the two kings. It would appear that all the previous owners of the artifact had also carved their names. Knife in hand, he carefully pressed the tip to the wood, shakily making a 'C'. The letter was quite a bit bigger than the others that had been written. His childish hands and messy handwriting stood out from the names carved by those much older and wiser than he was.

He didn't give up though. The Stick was his, right? That's what the wizard had told him! He began to carve again, trying to make the letters a bit smaller. L. Y. D. E.

There.

Satisfied, Clyde set down his knife, assessing the Stick again. Nothing seemed different, really. How could he have known if it worked unless he tried it?

"No," he told himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "They told me not to play with magic…"

A strange feeling flowed through his veins as he gripped it a little tighter. "Well…I guess a quick test wouldn't hurt." He began to think of something simple to ask for. "Stick…uh…I command thee to give me…a gift for the Grand Wizard, for telling me how to enter the vault." He closed his eyes, waiting. In his free hand he suddenly felt a strange weight. He slowly peeked open one eye, looking down.

Sitting in his palm was a small glass orb. He had never used one before, but he knew that the wizard liked them for spells. "Woah!" he gasped, turning it over. So the Stick did work.

 _Why stop there?_

He hesitated, looking down at the artifact. Why did he think that? Kyle and Eric would be upset if he continued. He knew better than to disobey.

 _Aren't you disobeying now?_

Technically he was disobeying Kyle, but Eric gave him permission, right?

 _Don't you want more? You're all grown up, remember?_

"Not really, I'm only twelve," he said out loud, as if he was speaking to someone.

 _You want to prove to them you're worthy right? Then use me again._

His mouth fell open. Was it… taking to him somehow? Through his mind?

 _Go on, Clyde. You can have anything you want. You could have the entire kingdom now, why wait until you're an adult? All you have to do is speak…_

He gulped, a small shiver running down his spine. "I...I mean, I'm going to inherit it anyway, right?" he said, trying to justify himself. "No, I'll just take a little bit. I'll take a little bit until I'm bigger, then I can learn to be a good king, right? And…And I'll build an army! Yeah, I'll have a big army and a big castle-"

 _Is that what you want?_

He thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes. That is what I want."

When the kings awoke the next morning, they found the Stick and their beloved child missing, a new castle having sprung up in the south-east third overnight.


	17. Chapter 17

"What are we going to do?"

Two days had passed since the horrible night that Clyde had disappeared. Now, somewhere in the kingdom, the young child was growing more and more corrupt. Who knew what he was planning? With the Stick in his control, it could be anything.

"There's not much we can do," The High Elf sighed. The betrayal had left him more hurt than anyone. Unaware of the Grand Wizard's part in the scheme, he didn't understand why any of this had happened. The two had tried to keep everything quiet for now, but people were beginning to demand answers. "If we make any moves, he will be hurt, and then what? We lose our future king?"

"We've already lost him," the wizard replied bitterly. He had never intended for it to have gone this far. All he wanted was to begin training the child, not for him to run away.

"Then what must be done?"

"We…We fabricate a story to pacify the kingdom." The wizard looked up, a serious expression on his face. "We tell them all he was unfit to rule and that he stole the Stick out of spite."

"That's not going to do anything but trouble," Kyle muttered, shaking his head. "We can't do that."

"We need a reason to reclaim the Stick, and it had better be believable or else nobody is going to support us," he insisted. "If we tell them that Clyde was a bitter, spoiled child, who greedily took what he thought he deserved, don't you think they'd be more willing to take him down?"

"Clyde was none of those things," Kyle hissed, still clearly distressed. "He was a sweet innocent child who became tempted by power."

"Kyle, trust me. I have led these armies for years. I understand strategies and this is our best bet. If the kingdom does not put the child at fault, they will support him becoming king as they always have, and then what? We just let him take the crown prematurely and continue to succumb to power?"

Kyle bit his lip. "I…I understand. This evening we will send out a message to our kingdom." He closed his eyes. "Our child is now the enemy of Zaron."

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

Tweek couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe couldn't breathe couldn't breathe.

His mistakes were dominoes, and Feldspar had been the push to send them toppling down. One by one they collided, dropping onto his shoulders, the pressure unbearable. He watched him disappear before dropping back to his knees in the dirt, entire body shaking violently, trying to process what had just happened.

No amount of air could satisfy his lungs as he let out heaving sobs, curling over himself, hands grasping at his chest. It hurt, it hurt so badly.

Can't breathe.

He didn't recognize his own screams as he sat there, hunched over. Hands found their way into his hair, pulling and pulling in frustration and agony. He fucked up. He fucked up horribly. This was not what he wanted; this was not what he wanted at all.

Then what had he wanted?

His brain was too foggy to answer his own question. At the start, he had wanted to prove his worth in the form of power, to prove he was strong and smart and brave and all the other junk that came with it. But now? He had just proven he was none of that. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve any of it. He couldn't go back to his village like this. He did not deserve to even be their king, to even be a barbarian.

Hyperventilating.

Can't breathe, can't breathe.

His irrational thoughts wandered. What was Feldspar doing now? Was he okay? Didn't matter, there was no reason to be concerned. He made it clear he never wanted to see each other again, remember? Feldspar hated him. Their love wasn't real, it was all Tweek's fault for tricking both of them into thinking so-

But.

His screams suddenly halted, the sound caught in his throat. Eyes open wide, mouth agape. Silence.

But that was wrong.

He let out another silent shiver, unable to move. That. Was. Wrong. Memories flashed through his mind. When they were flirting outside of the tavern, when he held his hand in the woods, when they kissed under the twilight of the forest and when they had said goodbye before heading into battle. When they held each other close by the light of the campfires and in the bed together in the elven kingdom. When Feldspar, no. When _Craig_ had whispered those kind things to him about how he was brave and smart and deserving of how far he had come.

That was love. There was no mistake.

Craig _loved_ him.

He let out another silent shiver, the tears falling from his cheekbones and hitting the dirt he was curled over.

Tweek loved him too.

He began to calm himself down, pulling his cape a little tighter around his shoulders, taking slow breaths. Deep in his gut, he knew Feldspar was not okay. He was going to need help in order to conquer the daunting task of facing the Grand Wizard. It was too big for just him, no, not even the two of them, to take on. He would need an army of his own.

The king slowly lifted his head, bleary eyes setting on the broken necklace nestled in the dirt before him. He extended a hand, shakily grasping it, holding it tightly as he rose to his feet. His free hand wiped at his face, his war paint smearing from his tears.

It was time to be all those lovely things that Feldspar had told him.

The king needed to rise up and take matters into his own hands.

* * *

"The king has returned!"

The sound of echoing voices filled his ears as the sight of his village came into sight. It had stayed right where he had left it. Despite having run the entire way there, his body felt little fatigue, an odd form of adrenaline pumping through his body.

He stepped foot into the camp, looking around as the remaining barbarians gathered around, staring. He was a different person than when he had first stepped out of the camp, he knew that in his gut. His wild hair swirled in the wind, messy paint and torn clothing emphasizing what he had been through. Nobody spoke, but as the others looked at him, they could see it in his eyes. The king was wiser than before, and he meant business.

Tweek looked them over, expression falling. There seemed to be so many fewer than before. "What happened here?"

"The Grand Wizard attacked," one spoke up, looking down. "We tried our best to fight him off, but he was stronger than us, and we had no strategy. We lost many warriors, and he stole much from us."

Tweek pursed his lips, eyes darkening as he scanned the crowd again. "I have a...companion…" he took a deep breath. "…who is in serious trouble right now. A lot of things have happened to me in the span of time I have been gone, but I guarantee that if we do not do something, disaster is going to fall on all of Zaron."

Whispers ran through the crowd, all of his people turning to one another.

"The Grand Wizard has stolen the Stick of Truth from us, and will likely use it for evil. With the broken balance between the kings, both of them have become unjust and wrong in their own respects. I spoke with the elf king but earlier today, and now that very companion is about to enact his plan and murder the wizard."

The barbarians seemed to agree with this idea, letting out cries of support.

"No, no!" he corrected them, waving his hands. "This is not the answer to the problem!" When they had calmed again, he sighed, looking down. "The only way to truly fix this broken kingdom is to reunite all three rulers as one again. We must storm the castle, retrieve the Stick, and use it for the _right_ reasons." He raised his fist, taking another deep breath. "We are going to save Zaron!"

Everyone erupted into enthusiastic cheers. The entire camp had never felt more alive since their king had left them. Quickly, they dispersed, gathering their weapons and whatever else they might need. It had been too long that Feldspar had been left alone- they needed to hurry if they were to make it on time. With Tweek in the lead, those who were able to fight mounted the few horses they had and rid off, 20 of them in all.

The castle really wasn't too far on horseback. If they moved quickly enough, they would be able to reach in a few hours. The thought filled Tweek with hope that everything might just work out. His newfound confidence was contagious, his little army radiating it as they continued on their way.

As they rode closer and closer, he became aware of the Paladin's warning from the last time he was this close. Do not tread so close to the castle, or the Wizard will attack.

"Prepare yourselves," he called back, looking over his shoulder. "We're getting close to the Grand Wizard's territory. He will not hesitate to kill us all, so be ready to fight with all you have! Do not let him win!"

Another cheer echoed through the forest as they slowed down to a crawl, looking around, weapons drawn. There was no doubt about it that someone was here, waiting. They could all feel it in the air.

"Hold your fire," he warned, raising his own bow as something moved in the distance. A lone figure appeared to be walking towards them, cast in shadow by the thick trees. His arrow followed it as it approached, becoming clearer as it neared.

There was no mistake- though he had never seen him in person, that was the Grand Wizard himself.

"Hold it," he repeated, unsure of what was going on. Why would he be walking alone, vulnerable to their arrows? Unless…

"It's a trap," he breathed. His eyes glanced up at the trees, suddenly recognizing why he felt so uneasy. Hidden among them he could barely make out the shadows of warriors, ready to strike. "TREES!"

Without a second of hesitation, all the barbarians turned their arrows upwards, firing into the leaves. More than a dozen bodies dropped, but more than a hundred emerged, unharmed. They leapt from their hiding spots, knocking the barbarians from their horses, engaging in the fight. Tweek, although not being attacked, jumped from his own horse and began firing arrows with his usual speed and accuracy.

The shadow of the king came closer, something in his hand.

His heart skipped a few beats when he looked back towards him.

Magic. He was going to use magic.

"Retreat!" he called. This was no good, there was no way they could take him on like this. Hand to hand combat, maybe, but magic? They were out of luck. His people began to fall back, slowly, slowly-

A chant. Foreign words hit their ears from the still shadowed figure.

He began to feel sleepy, so sleepy…

"No," he gasped, arms feeling heavier and heavier by the second. He struggled to raise his bow, aiming it at the wizard, hoping to knock the object he was holding away from him. Maybe if he shot it, it would end this, and they could press on…

Sleepy…

He dropped to the ground, his entire army silently resting.

The wizard came closer, the little object cradled in his large hand as he assessed the damage. His own warriors were unaffected by his spell, watching and waiting for their orders.

"Gather them up, take them to the castle," he commanded, waving his hand. "This is going to be a fun little event, don't you think?"

His eyes trailed back to the glass ball in his hand, rolling it between his fingers. As his army obeyed, he couldn't help but mourn. His prized possession, the only thing they had found in the vault when Clyde had disappeared, had now pressed him closer to his victory.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Zaron, 5 years ago**_

He was 12 when it happened.

As soon as the horses arrived, young knights clad in all black yelling out commands, the village had fallen into chaos. Some tried to run, others to hide. The Dark Lord had come to steal their children for his ever-growing army.

His mother had taken his hand, his little sister on her hip, pulling him along through the streets away from the horses. One of their neighbor's houses was standing empty, door ajar, having already been searched. He didn't understand why they were running until his mother brought them inside, shutting the door behind them.

"Craig, Craig… Listen to me." She sat down, hidden behind some knocked over furniture, placing his frightened sister in his lap. "Stay right here and protect your sister, okay?"

Still confused, he nodded anyway, gripping the little girl tightly around the waist and pulling her closer. Their mother stood up, rushing back out the door, leaving the house exactly as it was before she had entered.

The noise continued on outside as he curled up tightly, barely breathing. All he knew was that there were bad people who wanted to hurt them outside, and they had to stay quiet or else they would be found. Ruby started to whimper. He shushed her, petting her hair. He was scared too, but he was her big brother, and he needed to be brave right now. He could do that, couldn't he?

The sound of a slam startled him, making him jump. He pulled his sister even closer to his chest, starting to shake at the sound of footsteps.

"Come out, we know you're in here," a voice hissed, steps coming closer.

He held his breath, knowing they would be found any second. Little blue eyes glanced down to meet his sisters. He could see the fear, and it filled him with a strange sense of bravery. He was going to keep her safe.

He set her down carefully on the floor, standing up from his hiding spot and stepping into the open. Slowly, he raised his arms in a sign of surrender.

The soldier grabbed his arm and dragged him from the house, leaving his sister untouched.

Unfortunantly for him, he had been the only child who had been found. Most the mothers had been able to successfully hide or escape with their children. The trip was nearly two days in a covered wagon. He felt like he was in jail- it was such a cramped, frightening little place, and he was incredibly scared. He was proud of himself for helping his sister, but it didn't ease his anxieties. He had heard too many stories about the child king who had run away from home and slowly become more and more corrupt with the power he possessed. Who knew what would happen to him once he entered the walls of his kingdom?

As soon as they were close enough, the cart stopped, opening.

"Get out," the soldier from before commanded, pointing his sword at the little child. He climbed carefully out, legs visibly shaking, little hands pressed together in an attempt to calm down. They lead him inside the gates, then into the castle.

The door closed, and there was silence, save for the tapping of an impatient foot on the ground. As he looked up at the source of the noise, he widened his eyes. Here he was, the king. He didn't look much older than 16 or 17, the fabled Stick of Truth clutched tightly in his left hand. He was turned the other way, facing the large window at the back of the room.

"My lord. We were able to find just one."

The Dark Lord turned slowly, looking a bit annoyed until he laid eyes on the small boy in front of him. As soon as he did, he froze, a strange expression on his face. The Stick fell from his hands, dropping to the floor with a clatter in the silent room. A strange feeling gripped his chest as he stared at the frightened child.

"What…what is your name?" he asked curiously, looking him over.

"C-C…Craig," he said softly, hands clasped together, looking at the floor.

His now empty hand slowly drifted to his chest, resting there for a moment. His stomach twisted again, making him hiccup. This was…really weird. He had managed to be in control of himself with the Stick's help for many years now. Ever since he had run away from home, he had felt powerful and strong. Something about this boy though had made him feel…sympathy.

"You must be scared, aren't you?" he asked softly, continuing to stare at him. "It's okay to be scared…I was scared like you when I came here for the first time." His voice had raised in pitch, sounding a bit more childish than before. "When I was your age, I left my home too. I left my parents. Do you miss them?"

He nodded, looking like he was going to cry.

The Dark Lord stooped down, picking back up the Stick before walking closer to him, holding out his arms. Without thinking, he embraced the child, hugging him tightly. He felt so…unusual. He hadn't felt like himself in such a long time. "I miss my parents too. We used to live in the castle together when I was little. They'd teach me lots of magic, and we'd run up and down the halls and play games and…" He trailed off, seeming upset. He gripped the Stick a little tighter in his hand.

 _You don't miss them._

"I don't miss them," he whispered, breaking the embrace and stepping back. "You won't miss yours either. You're going to work for me now, got it?" As hard as he tried to put back on his more menacing, confident façade, he couldn't help but be soft. "I…Maybe…"

Craig stared at him in silence.

"Craig…Would you…like to be my friend?"

The Dark Lord rocked back and forth on his heels, that childish tone coming back to his voice. "You can be my head thief, maybe. You'll get to help me and fight and protect me. You can be really happy here, if you want."

The boy nodded slowly, feeling relieved that he was still alive. He hadn't expected to survive this long.

"Good." The Dark Lord smiled, seeming the happiest he had been in a long time. "Welcome to my army, Feldspar."

* * *

 _ **Zaron, Present Day**_

His eyes slowly blinked open to the sound of a soft, feminine voice. She was humming a strange tune, something vaguely familiar. He felt like he had heard it before.

Fingers brushed against his forehead, pushing his dark hair away from his face. "Hello, sleeping beauty," she teased, leaning over him. Her face came into focus, a smile played across her lips. "Glad to see you're awake."

Feldspar closed his eyes again, scrunching up his face as he let out a groan. "…where…?"

"Ah, sorry." Her gloved fingers continued to gently pet his hair. He was laying somewhere soft and warm. "Don't worry; I've hidden you somewhere safe. My uncle will not find you here."

He studied her face again, squinting. He was sure he had seen her before, but where? "Um…who?"

She laughed softly, biting her lip to contain herself. "Again, I must apologize. You must be really confused right now, aren't you?"

He nodded the best he could against the bed.

"I am the Grand Wizard's niece, Princess Kenny," she told him, beginning to fiddle with one of her long braids. "My friend knew you would be coming this way alone, and I had to save you before the wizard got to you first. I'm sorry he knocked you out, but it was the fastest way to get you out of the area."

"Save me? Why?" Feldspar began to move his arms a little, stretching them to each side. He noticed the pain in his arm was no longer there, even though he hadn't drunk any magic for a while. He really didn't know how much time had passed, but he was sure by now that it would have worn off. She must have healed him while he was asleep.

"You've been an important player in this game since day one," she whispered, stroking his hair again. "We couldn't let you walk into the castle alone, it's practically suicide."

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes and trying to relax again. "Well, I kind of had to. I was warned back in the woods a few days ago that someone was going to betray me. Little did I know it would be _him_." His sadness and frustration bubbled back to the top of his mind. Tweek had lied to him.

"No, no," she corrected, looking a little alarmed. "Ugh, I told him to stop being so cryptic."

He looked at her, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Come out now, it's fine," she said, turning to look behind herself. "The dramatic entrance is off, asshole, you messed up."

From the shadows emerged a cloaked figure.

"Holy shit, it's that guy!" Feldspar gasped, sitting up in the bed. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Calm down, Feldspar," the princess told him, placing a hand against his shoulder. "This is my childhood friend. He goes by many names but most just call him…Douchebag."

"I can see why," he grumbled. "He shows up out of nowhere and gives weird information just to disappear again. Douchebag, indeed."

"Hey," the familiar whisper gasped from somewhere in the cloak. "Don't be rude. It was a nickname from when I was younger, okay?"

Feldspar pouted, but let it go. "So. Douchebag. What exactly were you talking about then?"

"I was talking about the _High Elf_ , idiot," he hissed. Feldspar couldn't see his face, but he was sure he was scowling. "The High Elf is going to betray you the second he gets his hands on that Stick. You don't seem to comprehend that ever since the balance has been lost, both the kings have become insufferable, selfish assholes!"

"You should have just said that," he retorted, crossing his arms. "So now what? Where do I fit in to all this? Apparently you two have been creating this plan for years."

"Feldspar, please," the princess said, trying to soothe him. "I know you're frustrated, but this is a really complicated thing."

"I've clearly got time," he told her, shrugging his shoulders and knocking her hand away.

She took a deep breath, looking a little annoyed. "Okay. Fine. Douchebag, you wanna tell him?"

The hooded figure nodded, coming a little closer. "Feldspar, listen carefully. The only way to truly fix everything is to get the kings to unite once more. Not just Kyle and Eric, but Clyde too. We need to get all three of them together and have them to forgive each other."

"You really think that those three are just gonna hug it out and become a family again? There's no way in hell!" Feldspar shook his head.

"Not impossible, just difficult. I know how I'll do it." Douchebag gestured to himself, then to the princess. "The two of us have been watching. Waiting. We know that this kingdom doesn't have much longer unless we fix what has been broken. We made sure that you and Tweek would set out on this journey. You've caused quite a stir around all three kingdoms, haven't you? All three of the kings know who you are. You're going to go get the Stick, go to the center of the walls…"

"…and be used as bait to lure them in for a family reunion?"

"Precisely."

"Eugh." He frowned. He wasn't sure if he liked that plan. "And what if they don't forgive each other?"

"We'll make them. We'll have the Stick after all."

"Hate to burst your bubble," Feldspar said, grimacing, "but the Stick is kinda broken right now."

"Wrong," the princess told him. "The Barbarian just did not know how to use it properly. You'll find out when the time comes."

"Speaking of the barbarian, we have trouble." Douchebag spoke again, sounding worried. "I sense that the Grand Wizard grabbed him while we were distracted. I'll need to get into the castle and save him before Eric likely murders him. We need both the heroes to make this work."

"Take me with you," Feldspar said suddenly, looking at the hooded man. He frightened himself for speaking so quickly, reminding himself of his grudge. Tweek had lied, there was no reason to go rescue him. Yet…

"Feldspar, we can't risk your safety at this stage in the operation."

"Take me," he repeated, a bit firmer. "You can't go in there alone, I need to help him…he…he needs me right now." He let out a heavy breath, looking at the sheets of the bed he had been laying in. Hands balled up in the soft sheets, conflicting emotions filling his chest with an odd ache, the slightest of tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "Do you understand?"

From somewhere within the cloak, Douchebag let out a small laugh. "Well…given what I've seen of your journey so far…I can't deny the hero from saving his lover, can I?"

Feldspar let out a small laugh, the tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked back up. "Yeah. Yeah… Time for a rescue mission."


	19. Chapter 19

" _You…you did this?" The look on the High Elf's face told everything._

" _I didn't think it would end up-"_

" _I don't want any of your fucking excuses!" Hands met his fiery hair, pulling at the curls. "You told him what to do and he's been gone all this time because of you."_

" _Kyle, stop," he commanded, clearly just as frustrated. "What happened to all that garbage about keeping in balance?"_

" _That doesn't matter now. You've broken my trust and you've ruined this kingdom." He stopped his fit, looking at him with a firm glare. "We cannot continue like this any longer."_

 _The Grand Wizard stared silently, lips pressed together in a disproving pout._

" _This joined kingdom is broken."_

* * *

Chanting.

His chest was hammering something awful, still surrounded in sleepy darkness. The sound of voices echoed through the room, getting louder and louder with each of his heartbeats. Bang, bang, bang. It was a jarring feeling to his numbed senses.

Wake up! This is no time to sleep!

He tried to focus but the sounds were muffled and far away, as if he was drowning in water. So many voices, all of them calling out to him-

Get up!

His slowly lifted his head, groggily letting his eyes blink. The lights were bright, blinding him for a moment as he adjusted. All at once, it hit him clearly, his senses awake and hypersensitive.

His arms were stuck somewhere behind him, tied tightly at the wrists. Something hard was against his back, some sort of post, holding him hostage in what appeared to be a brightly lit ballroom.

 _Kill him. Kill him. Kill him._

Thousands of voices, all around him. They were calling for his death, staring at him like he was a trapped animal.

Panic set in, causing him to yank at his binds, twisting back and forth. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't escape, couldn't run.

 _Kill him. Kill him. Kill him._

Silence.

Far on the other side of the room, the large double doors flew open. Everyone paused their chanting to turn and look at the entering king. A huge smile spread across his face with each step forward, clicking boots making their way down the part in the crowd.

"Barbarian," he sneered, stopping right before where he was being forced to stand. He continued to grin, looking him over.

Tweek glared, heart still pounding. His breathing came heavy as he continued to squirm, desperate to break his bonds.

Slowly the king leaned forward, Tweek immediately avoiding eye contact.

"What's wrong? I set up this little party just for you." The Grand Wizard faked a pout, looking upset. "I went through all this trouble…and you don't even like it?" His hand was suddenly grasping at his mass of blond fluff, yanking his head upward so Eric could look him in the eyes. He let out a shriek, eyes squeezing shut in pain at the rough movement. "I think you ought to appreciate this party…It's going to be your last."

Head still gripped tightly in the Wizard's fist, Tweek let his instincts take over, spitting at him. "Let me go, you sick fuck," he hissed.

Another harsh yank made him cry out again. "Who the fuck do you think you are, talking to me like that?" The Wizard shouted, moving even closer, their noses nearly touching. "You have no right to speak so bravely when your life is on the line." He dropped his head, letting him fall to his knees, arms still trapping him against the wooden pole.

Eric turned to the crowd, raising his arms. "The barbarians have been nothing but trouble to this kingdom for many years!" he called out, eliciting some agreeing shouts. "They steal from our villages, they kill our people! This is their king!"

Tweek looked up, head spinning as the yells picked back up again. He couldn't do this, he didn't want to die. "Liar! We had a pact!"

"It was broken the second you decided to keep that Stick to yourself," the king said, turning around and pointing a finger at him. "I once respected your people, I left them be. But now, you'll all pay."

"Stop," he cried, struggling again when the king turned back to the mass of people.

"He and his people attempted to storm my castle!"

The crowd continued to rise in volume.

"He has become a traitor to our kind, he has gone to the elven kingdom," the king continued, raising his voice over the noisy crowd. "He was planning to raise mutiny against me, to MURDER me!"

Lies, lies, lies, he didn't want any of this to happen-

"What do we do with traitorous scum?"

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

"Stop!" he pleaded, pulling again at his bonds. He wanted Feldspar, where was Feldspar? Had the Wizard already killed him? "Where are my warriors, where is the thief?"

The king grinned evilly as he turned to face him again, stooping down to his level where he was kneeling on the floor. "I'll take care of your army later…The thief is already dead."

Something about that statement seemed wrong, as if he were lying, but Tweek was too hysterical to tell the difference. Feldspar was dead? He couldn't be dead! There was no way he was dead-

He could barely process what was happening. The crowd continued to chant as one of the human soldiers stepped forward, holding out the barbarian king's bow and a single arrow. The king stood, then took each item in a hand, slowly stepping backward.

 _Kill him. Kill him. Kill him._

His heart kept pounding to the rhythm of the shouts, wrists stinging with rope burns. He had to get out, he had to get out-

The Grand Wizard held up the bow and arrow, slowly loading it for all to see. "The Barbarian king will fall by his own weapon," he sneered, taking aim.

"I beg you," he whimpered, barely able to speak. He twitched and shook, unable to stand himself back up, crouched and curled up on the floor with his arms trapped behind his back.

"Goodbye, _your highness_." The bow was pulled back, arrow ready to fly.

"STOP!"

Out of nowhere came a leaping figure, appearing from high above them. It fell downward from the ceiling, kicking the Grand Wizard square in the face and sending the arrow flying far out of range. Tweek flinched, still curled up on the ground, unsure of what was going on.

There were screams in the crowd as the hooded man drew a sword, scanning around the room. The wizard lay against the floor, winded, bow having flown from his hands. "COME AND GET ME," the voice boomed, almost too loud to be human.

Chaos.

The crowd began to attack, bodies falling left and right as Douchebag cut them down.

Tweek curled upon himself, still shaking horribly in fear. What the hell was going on? Who was that? Was he alive, was he dead? He honestly couldn't tell at this point, everything was blurring together.

"I got you," came a familiar voice to his right, close enough to be heard over the loud commotion. Gentle, skilled fingers were brushing against his wrists as the rope was untied, freeing him. Without hesitation, as soon as he could move, he threw them around his savior, clinging tightly.

"Craig," he gasped, gripping his shoulders and burying his face in his chest.

"There's no time," Feldspar said, hugging back for just a moment before pulling away. "We need to get the Stick and get out of here, now!"

"I t-thought you were d-dead or-"

"Tweek, there _really_ isn't any time," he stressed, grabbing him by the hand. He glanced up at Douchebag, watching him continue to fight off the humans. "Douchebag won't last forever. Kenny is already in the jails, freeing the other barbarians. I'll explain everything else later!"

"Okay," he gasped, nodding quickly. "Get the Stick, run, got it!"

The two took off in the other direction, away from the fight, to a set of doors just behind the post where Tweek had been captive. Together they pushed open the heavy door, dashing into the long hallway.

"If I were a selfish wizard asshole, where would I keep my prized possession," Feldspar mumbled, looking at each door they passed.

"Somewhere important to him," Tweek replied, equally as flustered. "What about his bedroom?"

"That's a good place to start," Feldspar gasped back, freezing when he spotted an open door. "There, I think that's it!"

The two hurried inside, quickly looking around. "Just open everything," Feldspar said, grabbing at a large desk and throwing open the drawers. He rummaged through the contents, unable to find anything important. Tweek began to scout the room, climbing on furniture and peeking in smaller places.

"Craig, this is pointless," he grumbled, ripping open the curtains across the window. "I have a feeling he'd hide it somewhere we can't find."

"Well unless you have any ideas, I'm stumped," he told him, shoving over a table in frustration. "We don't have time to play hide-and-seek with a piece of tree!"

"We don't have to," Tweek suddenly gasped, looking up from where he was peering under the bed. "Feldspar! Look!" He grabbed at his pocket, pulling out the broken necklace that Eric had failed to take from him when he was captured.

"You kept that?"

"Absolutely." He took a deep breath, holding it tightly in the palm of his hand. His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to focus. "Okay…okay… come on necklace, I know that Craig's my desire, but maybe we can make an exception…Where the hell is the Stick?"

The warm tugging feeling came in his chest, the familiar glow causing him to open his eyes.

"Shit, you actually did it," Feldspar breathed, staring at him for just a moment before pointing to the door. "Come on, no time to waste, where's it at?"

Tweek felt the tug for a moment before moving towards the door, taking Feldspar's hand as he exited. "Down the stairs," he commanded, running in that direction. The two descended until they reached an empty room, similar to the chaotic ballroom above them. "Somewhere over here," he continued, moving towards the wall. "It's probably a secret door…"

"Well that really helps a lot," Feldspar said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "How do we open it? It's a _wall_."

"Trust me on this, just touch everything, eventually it will open," he said quickly, slapping his free hand against the wall. "There's a trigger or something, usually."

Feldspar pressed his hands against the brick, feeling around until something moved. "Got one," he said, holding his hand there. He watched at Tweek found another. Together, they pushed their hands against the wall, and it began to shift and move.

"There we go," Tweek said happily, watching the passageway open up. "Told you."

They quickly entered, running down the long hallway. The door at the end was already open, exposing the room where the Stick had been kept many years ago.

"There it is," Feldspar said, quickly running up to the pedestal. Sitting neatly on the pillow was the Stick, which he grabbed and shoved into his cloak. "Okay, let's get out of here," he said. Tweek nodded and the two of them took off, out the way they came.

"Now where?"

"The Princess said she'd meet us outside with horses. We take the Stick to the middle of the wall and wait for everyone to come running," Feldpar said, out of breath as they ran back up the stairs. "We'll have to get back through the ballroom to get to the exit of the castle."

"Okay," Tweek gasped back, reaching the doors again. "Split up, okay? You run left, I'll run right, we meet at the door at the other end, okay?"

"Got it."

The two pushed open the door again, dashing into the room once more. Douchebag was still in the center, distracting the crowd. Perfect. The two split ways as they ran along the side walls, away from the fight. Within a few short seconds, they were safely together again at the back.

"Done and done," Tweek whispered, pushing open the door. "Let's get outside."

"DOUCHEBAG!" Feldspar called behind them, giving him the cue that they had secured the Stick. Time for phase two.

With the hooded man following behind them, Feldspar and Tweek hurried along the last hallway until they reached the exit doors. With their combined strength, it was moved open, allowing them to step into the bright sunshine.

"You did it!" the princess gasped as soon as they were in view. She had brought 3 horses for all of them, sitting on her own. "We must hurry, before my uncle follows us!"

Without hesitation, Douchebag took one horse while Tweek and Feldspar took the other, quickly riding away from the castle with Kenny in the lead.

"Okay, now what," Tweek whispered. They had resumed the position from when they were in the elven kingdom- Feldspar in front, with Tweek behind, allowing him to steer their horse.

Feldspar pulled the Stick from his cloak, looking it over. "We need to figure out how this thing works so we can use it, if need be," he said. "We need to bait all 3 kingdoms to come together and unite again."

"Sounds simple in theory," Tweek grumbled back, watching the princess' horse for cues on where to go. "I don't think it will be that easy."

"It will be if we can use the Stick- Tweek, holy shit!"

"What?!"

Feldspar pulled the Stick closer to his face, staring at the hilt. "There's…names on this thing!"

"Names? What the hell?" Tweek glanced down for a moment, trying to look. "What kind of names?"

"Looks like Clyde's is on here. I have a good feeling that you need a name to use it- that's why you couldn't make it work, you didn't write yours!"

"That's the stupidest way to use a magical item I've ever heard," he grumbled, embarrassed he had never noticed.

"Well, now we know. As soon as we get to the wall, you can put your name on it-"

"Mine?"

"You wanted to use the Stick, right?" Feldspar turned a little, looking at him. "Well, now's your chance."

Tweek smiled, leaning forward for just a moment to press a kiss to Feldspar's nose. "Yeah…" His gut twisted, a bit of guilt filling his stomach.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.


	20. Chapter 20

"Your highness!"

The Dark Lord, although he had been healed from his shoulder wound days before, had been pathetically lying around the castle ever since they had returned from their attempted attack. He was incredibly disappointed that he had been forced to call retreat after coming so close to killing that backstabbing thief. With an exaggerated sigh, he looked up from where he was moping in bed, pouting.

"What."

Mike had entered, looking a little more frantic than usual. "My lord…The thief has the Stick of Truth."

"Impossible!" Forgetting his pathetic act, the king sat up in his bed, looking shocked. "There's no way!"

"I saw it with my own vision!" he insisted. "It's not fake at all, he really does have it. Looks like he's heading to the center of the kingdom."

"We need to go get it then," he said, leaping from his bed. "Come on, gather the army-"

"Sir, I must advise you," Mike interrupted, holding out his hands in an attempt to make him stop. "I think he has something planned, he's being accompanied by others."

"I really don't care," he said, rolling his eyes, "just get the soldiers so we can leave! There's no doubt the other kingdoms already know where they are, and I want to get the Stick FIRST!"

* * *

The ride has felt far too long as the four made their way to the center of the kingdom. They hadn't been lying when they said that Zaron would crumble- the wall they were traveling by was steadily falling apart the closer they came to the middle.

"Everything's working so far," Douchebag told them. Somehow, his ominous whisper still reached their ears, despite how fast they were moving. "We're getting close. The center should already have fallen enough for all three kingdoms to gather around."

Their horses slowed to a trot, finding the clearing to be as predicted. The wall had fallen completely here in a 5 mile radius, allowing the perfect playing filed for what was about to happen.

Feldspar gripped the Stick a little tighter in his hand behind his cloak. The eerie silence was only making him more nervous. "Tweek," he found himself whispering, "I'm getting a bad feeling."

"Me too," the barbarian replied in an equally hushed tone. Douchebag and the princess were circling the area, looking at all 3 sections for the approaching kings. He waved to Kenny, shouting so she could hear. "Hey, run us down on what's supposed to happen again?"

The princess moved closer, halting her horse within speaking distance. "As soon as the kings all arrive, we show them the Stick and threaten to use it unless they forgive each other. If they refuse, you'll carve your name and command them to."

Tweek frowned, not sure if he liked the second option. "…and this will work… why?"

"It just does…that's what Douchebag said, anyway." She looked back over at him, watching as he stopped his horse and stared into the distance.

"What's with him, anyway? You said he was a childhood friend. Was he always like this?" Feldspar turned his attention to where she was looking.

"Mmm." She shook her head, still staring at him. "He was a pretty normal person, once. He used to play with us kids in the gardens when I visited my uncle and my younger sort-of cousin, Clyde." She smiled fondly, seeming to recall happy memories. "We'd pick flowers and Clyde would show us his magic. Once we dug up my uncle's favorite flower bed and hid all the petals in Kyle's robes. We got in so much trouble." Her laugh was contagious, causing both the heroes to giggle with her.

"So what happened?"

"Clyde disappeared and everything changed. Douchebag suddenly vanished for a long time…and when he returned, he wasn't the same man from my childhood. He doesn't show his face, he hardly speaks, he'd discovered magic I had never seen before… I was honestly a little scared, but I couldn't just turn him away. He tried pulling strings in the background to put Zaron back together, but I never really understood why."

Douchebag was coming back over now, still as mysterious as ever.

"Are they coming?" the princess asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Looks like The Dark Lord got the message pretty quickly. The others aren't far behind."

All of them looked towards the third kingdom to see a steadily approaching army.

"That's him alright," Feldspar said, pushing the Stick deeper into his cloak.

Douchebag began to move forward, little by little, watching Clyde with strange attentiveness. It was only now that Tweek had actually looked at him to notice that the bow Eric had dropped in the palace was now on his back, obscured by his thick cloak.

"Hey, isn't that mine?" he hissed in Feldspar's ear, leaning forward a little so he could hear his voice. "Where did he get that?"

Douchebag's hands were moving to grasp at it, sliding it off his back.

"What the fuck are you up to?" the princess asked, reaching out a hand to grab it from him.

"Stop," Douchebag commanded, pulling the other way. "I know what I'm doing." He turned to Tweek and tossed his weapon back. "If he comes too close, take matters into your own hands. Feldspar, hold up the Stick, show him we mean business."

"But-"

"Feldspar, do it now!" Douchebag raised his voice, making the thief jump. He pulled the Stick from his cloak, holding it up as ordered.

The army was upon them now, Clyde halting his horse about 20 feet from where they were gathered. "That's mine," he said, pointing a finger at the artifact as if he were a toddler. "You have to give it back to me!"

Right on cue, the sounds of two more armies began to grow louder behind them. Feldspar turned, seeing both the High Elf and Grand Wizard approach them and stop at about the same distance.

Silence.

The entire area was filled with a strange tension as they looked at each other, waiting to see who would move, the Stick held high in the air by a trembling boy at the center of it all.

"Feldspar…Tweek…" Kyle spoke first, staring at them with wide, frightened eyes. "This isn't what I asked… why is everyone here? What's the wizard doing alive, what's-" he froze when his eyes met Clyde's before the two quickly looked other directions.

Douchebag stayed facing Clyde, hands curled into fists. "The war between Zaron ends today," he spoke.

"Is that…?" The wizard shook his head in disbelief.

"Nice to see you too," the hooded figure laughed, but something about his voice only made everything feel worse than before. "I think you understand where this is going, don't you?" Suddenly, Douchebag leapt from his horse, running forward towards the Dark Lord's army. Before Clyde could pull back, the hooded man grabbed his leg and yanked him off his horse, tackling him to the ground, pinning the younger boy down. Clyde screamed out as Douchebag caught him by the throat, pressing him down flat.

"Stay still, brat," he hissed, hand digging into his cloak, pulling out a knife and pressing it against his chest.

"Help! HELP!" Clyde sobbed out, twisting the best he could in the other's grip. His army backed up slowly, afraid. "Please, help!"

"Douchebag, this wasn't the fucking plan!" Kenny shouted, but made no move. Nobody did, even when the two elder kings stared on in horror.

"The point of all of this was to unite everyone together to save the kingdom!" Feldspar continued for her, still gripping the artifact tightly in his hand.

"Did you really think that I'd settle for that?" Douchebag laughed again. "Zaron needs one leader, not two pathetic, arguing fools and their incompetent child. I could care less if I killed them all." To make his point, he pressed the knife again, causing the boy to plead and beg for forgiveness.

"Please, please, I'm sorry," he sobbed, turning his head to look towards the kings. All the corruption and the anger that had once been in his eyes were replaced by fear and his childish innocence. "Help! Help me! My lords!" He awkwardly freed a hand, reaching it out to them both.

"Douchebag, what the fuck is going on?!" Tweek demanded, fingers still tightly gripping his weapon.

"Oh…" Douchebag slowly looked up from the squirming boy. Even under his hood, everyone knew he was grinning. "Don't you see? This is what I wanted all along."

"You're making no sense."

"I've been in control since day one, idiot. I set everything up to fall into place. I destroyed Clyde's village so that he could be found. I invaded his thoughts and spoke to him so he'd use the Stick and become corrupt. I told Kyle a prophecy I had created when the kingdoms separated. I made the 'heroes' go on a quest, I knew they would rally everyone together…and then everyone could all watch as they handed the Stick over to me."

"This is all some sick GAME?" the thief shouted, retracting the Stick in to his cape once more. "You made an overly complicated plan for a fucked up show of power?"

"You couldn't be more right."

Feldspar glanced behind him at the two kings, still frozen in place and looking horrified. Clyde continued to whimper and whine, clearly showing his distress.

"It's your choice, Feldspar." Everyone's eyes fell on the thief as Douchebag spoke. "Give me the Stick and it's all over."

"Help, help, help," the Dark Lord whimpered. "My lords…"His lower lip trembled, dignity breaking. "Fathers…please!"

"Feldspar," Kyle called to him, voice cracking, "Don't let him kill my _son_!"

Feldspar let out a shaky breath, formulating a quick plan in his head. "Tweek, do you trust me?"

"What?" The barbarian looked startled.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I-"

"Okay. I'm going to hand him the Stick. When the time is right, shoot him."

"Craig!" Tweek hissed, alarmed. "You can't, as soon as he has the Stick he's gonna use some crazy magic and get his name on it and-"

"Trust me. Trust me, please. I have a plan." Feldspar slowly climbed down from the horse, despite Tweek's protesting. He pulled his hand out from his cloak again, revealing the Stick. "Here it is."

"Good choice," Douchebag said, holding out his free hand. "Come on."

Tweek took a steadying breath, staring at the scene unfolding. Everything moved in slow motion as Feldspar stepped forward, closer and closer. This would possibly be the most important shot in his whole life. More important than when he saw his mother die, more important than when Feldspar was attacked. The entire kingdom was relying on this one shot. He was going to save them all _his way_. He took another breath, lifting his bow a little, focusing his aim.

Feldspar stopped before him, looking down at Clyde who was still letting out pathetic whines on the ground. His eyes trailed up to Douchebag, face still shrouded in the dark of his cloak, hand outstretched.

He handed him the Stick.

"Yes…Yes!" Douchebag didn't let go of Clyde, lifting it above his head. A flash of blue magic filled the clearing as his name appeared on the hilt. It was his, all his! "The kingdom of Zaron is saved! It's saved! It's-"

He froze, slowly turning back to Feldspar. Somewhere in that darkness, the thief swore he saw fear. "What did you do?"

Tweek suddenly realized what Feldspar had done. That wasn't the real Stick at all. It was just-

"Ya know, you shouldn't make your most powerful artifact look like something I could pick up off the ground," the thief said nonchalantly as he glanced over at Tweek, pulling the real Stick out of his cape.

"You miscalculated two little things in your magnificent plan," Tweek said, raising his bow fully, aiming. "One, that Feldspar isn't an idiot." A breath. "Two…I never miss."

He let go.

The arrow flew steady and collided with Douchebag's heart, but in the short time between firing and striking, he had managed to plunge his knife deep into the chest of the boy below him. The arrow knocked him over onto his back, face upturned. His hood fell from his head, revealing his distorted face, changing continuously, thousands of appearances all embodied by his one form. His voice grew louder and louder as he stared back at Tweek, eyes flashing hundreds of colors.

"You actually did it! You actually shot me!" he screamed, barely breathing. "You're no better than me!"

"Clyde! CLYDE," came the High Elf's voice as he leapt from his horse, followed quickly by the Grand Wizard. Douchebag kept laughing and laughing until he was dead silent.

"Oh my god," Tweek gasped, unfreezing and suddenly realizing what had happened. He threw down his bow, quickly climbing down and joining Feldspar at his side.

Kyle was sobbing, having lifted Clyde awkwardly into his arms. The young man was bleeding heavily, barely breathing, eyes closed. "Fuck, fuck…" he muttered over and over. Eric was now to his left, huddling closer, a hand against the wound.

"I can't," he said softly, shaking his head. "I can't heal him, not with my magic." Everyone's eyes fell onto the two heroes, Feldspar still clutching the Stick. "Please… we don't care any longer."

"The fight was wrong in the first place," Kyle agreed, running a hand across the boy's cheek. "It's all fun and games until someone you love gets hurt…" He trailed off, finally looking up. "Please. I beg you. We don't care what you do with the artifact after this. You can keep it, for all we care. Use the Stick…save him."

Feldspar nodded, slowly turning to Tweek. "Here. You wanted to use this in the first place, right?" He offered a small smile, quickly reaching into his boot and pulling out his knife. "Go on, there isn't much time."

Tweek looked down at what he was being handed, carefully taking it from the thief's gloved hands. All eyes were on him as he turned the Stick around until he found the names etched carefully in the base. He stared at them, a finger trailing along the larger ones until it hit an odd, poorly carved bump.

He pressed his fingertip against the jagged letter C a little boy had carved there nearly 10 years ago before going mad with power.

"No," he said, dropping the knife. "I can't."

"Tweek, you have to-"

Before Feldspar could finish, he stepped forward, holding out the Stick. Each stepped echoed in the quiet until he reached the kings, still curled over Clyde.

"The only ones who can fix this is you," he said, presenting it to them. "It's what needed to be done from the beginning. No more arguing, no more power struggles, none of it." He let the Wizard take it, smiling. "Save your child."

The wizard slowly turned to Kyle, holding out the Stick. "Together," he said.

Kyle gently took it, holding it between them. "…As it should have been."

Their eyes closed tightly as a glow began to come from the Stick, growing larger and larger until it covered the three of them. In an instant, it was gone; the blood from the boy's wound had now vanished as if it had never been there.

Small brown eyes fluttered open as Clyde looked up to see the kings smiling back down at him. They welled with tears as he leapt up, bringing them both into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," he cried, cheeks flushing bright pink with each hiccupping sob. "I'm so sorry…"

"Shhh, my child," Kyle said, both of them squeezing him back.

"We all messed up. If anyone should be sorry, it should be us," the wizard finished.

Tweek watched the scene unfold, glad to see that it had all worked out in the end. As he stepped back, he could feel Feldspar come beside him, their hands sliding back together in a tight clasp.

"You alright?" he said softly, looking at the three united kings. "You did the right thing, even if it meant you had to give up what you wanted."

"Yeah." He nodded, leaning slightly so he could rest his head against the thief's shoulder. "It's okay. I don't want the Stick anymore." Their eyes met, and he knew that there was no other answer. "I found something better."

As the crowd around them began to cheer, the two of them pulled closer, lips meeting for the first of many kisses as the Heroes of Zaron.


End file.
